


Permanent Fixture

by linksofmemories



Series: The Rory to My Amy [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Anal Sex, Canonical Character Death, Childhood, Doctor Who References, F/M, Family, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff and Angst, Growing Up, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Phone Sex, Pining, Rimming, Slow Build, This is 80000 words of fluff and Doctor Who references so don't say that I didn't warn you., top!Derek/bottom!Stiles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-21
Updated: 2012-09-21
Packaged: 2017-11-14 18:48:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 80,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/518387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/linksofmemories/pseuds/linksofmemories
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek is Scott's older brother. Stiles is Scott's best friend. Derek is falling in love with Stiles. This is a bit of a problem.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Permanent Fixture](https://archiveofourown.org/works/885597) by [Caritas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caritas/pseuds/Caritas)
  * Translation into Italiano available: [Permanent Fixture](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9563090) by [Aredhel_Quillfly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aredhel_Quillfly/pseuds/Aredhel_Quillfly)



> So, this took me almost a month to write, but it's finally here! Just a few quick things to mention: I combined Scott and Derek's last names to make it McHale. I couldn't pick between Hale and McCall and McHale is a legit last name. Also, Mama Stilinski and Laura are two HUGE characters is this fic. My head-canons for them are Holly Marie Combs and Katie McGrath, respectively. Obviously I can't make you visualize those actresses, but if you need an image in your head, there you go.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> (Oh, and the name of the series will make sense after you read this, so...)

  


No matter how many times she tried shaking it, the pregnancy test just refused to turn negative. She had tried jumping up and down, tossing it in the air, shaking it like an Etch A Sketch, but nothing worked. This was the third test she had taken and none of them had given her the result she was looking for.

Melissa Delgado was 16 years-old and pregnant. Her mom was going to kill her. She had been given the “wait until marriage” speech about a hundred times. And there was nothing wrong with waiting until you were married, but Melissa didn’t want to wait. Especially since she was with the man she was convinced she would spend the rest of her life with. What could possibly go wrong?

Getting up from the bathroom floor, Melissa headed into her room and grabbed the phone her dad had set up for her. She dialed James’s home number and his mom picked up on the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Oh, hi Mrs. McHale. This is Melissa, I was wondering if I could talk to James.”

“Sure, sweetie. Just give me a moment, I’ll go get him.”

“Going to get him” apparently translated into holding the phone away and shouting for James to get his butt downstairs to accept the phone call. There were sounds of shuffling from the other line as phones were exchanged.

“Hey Mels,” James greeted from the other line.

“Hi James,” Melissa said, feeling some sort of relief from hearing his voice. “Can you come over? I really need to tell you something and I don’t want to do it over the phone.”

“Yeah, sure.”

They said their goodbyes and Melissa hung out, slumping against her bedroom wall before sinking to the floor. What if he didn’t want the baby? What if he didn’t want her? What if he tried to insist that it wasn’t his?

No. James wouldn’t do that. Melissa pushed all of the negative thoughts from her head and tried to focus on something more positive. James definitely wanted the baby and her. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He loved her. They would get married. Everything would be fine.

The doorbell rang and Melissa stood up, listening as her mother opened the door and let James in. They talked for a bit about school and how football was going before Melissa heard James coming up the stairs.

She sat down on her bed and waited for him to open the door. She could do this. This was easy. All she had to do was tell him that she was pregnant.

Okay, so maybe it was far from easy.

“Hey you,” James said as he entered the room.

“Hi,” Melissa said, her voice resembling something of a squeak.

James smiled and sat down next to her on the bed. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a quick kiss. “What do you want to tell me?”

Melissa continued to look at James with her mouth firmly shut. She tried smiling, but the corners of her mouth weren’t working properly and she just started to shake her head. Tears welled up in her eyes and an instant later James had both of his arms around her as he held her close.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” he asked, concern consuming his voice.

“James, I’m-,” she started, another sob escaping from her. “I’m-.”

“You’re what?” James pressed, concern turning to panic. “Melissa, what’s wrong?”

“I’m pregnant!” she finally blurted before pressing a hand against her mouth and scooting away for him in horror.

She had said it. It was out there. And she was absolutely terrified.

“Are you… sure?” James asked slowly after some of the initial shock had worn off.

“Yeah, I took three tests and they were all positive and my period is over a week late.”

James continued to look at her in shock before slowly nodding his head. Melissa wasn’t sure if this made her feel better or worse.

“What are we going to do?” she asked.

“Well, do you want to keep the baby?”

“Yes.”

He nodded again. She was really getting tired of him nodding.

“Then, Melissa Delgado, will you marry me?”

At the time it had felt like all of her dreams had come true. Everything felt so right as soon as he asked that. Of course she had said yes. So, they got married a month later and months after that on November 7th, 1988 Melissa gave birth to a healthy baby boy. He had James’s green eyes and black hair, but Melissa could still see bits of her in him too. They named him Derek and things were practically perfect.

In fact things were more than perfect. They both finished high school and while Melissa went off to college (because James knew how much becoming a nurse meant to her) he would stay home with Derek. And when James was off working, Melissa would stay home with Derek.

He was a happy baby and a destructive toddler, so it was safe to say that he was perfectly normal and content. As he grew older it didn’t seem to matter to him that he lived in a one-room apartment, or that his parents were younger than everyone else’s parents. Derek was fine, but Melissa and James were falling apart.

Derek was five and Melissa was finishing up her undergrad and applying to medical school. And James was drinking and gambling and doing God knew what else. He would come home after work angry and vocal and Melissa would take Derek out to her parents’ house to stay for the night.

But with James being angry came him being persuasive. Melissa was trying to decide whether to get a divorce or not (she wanted one, but what was best for Derek?) when James started being nice again. He started being gentle and taking Derek to baseball games and working overtime and rubbing her shoulders as she prepared for finals.

And of course with all of that safety and security finally coming back to her sex came back to her as well. An all too familiar scene happened with her sitting on the bathroom floor with yet another positive pregnancy test in her hands.

On October 21st, 1994 Scott was born. Melissa thought that maybe with Scott, James would continue being kind. But he soon went back to his old ways. Things were getting even worse and Melissa was at a loss. Her parents urged her to move back in with them with Derek and Scott, but Melissa didn’t want to take them away from their father.

She didn’t have to take them away in the end though.

On Scott’s third birthday, James went out to buy birthday candles and never came back. Even though Derek’s ninth birthday was just a little over two weeks away, he just left without any other contact.

The family of three moved back into the Delgado household and Melissa changed her last name back. She finally became a nurse when Scott started the third grade and her parents bought them a house. Of course Melissa had refused to accept it, but they pushed. They said that they had enough money and that her boys needed a place of their own. She reluctantly accepted and the small family moved into a small two-story house in Beacon Hills, hours away from where they had once lived.

 

**OoOoOoO**

Derek knew that he shouldn’t blame Scott. He shouldn’t blame his mother either. He should blame his father. Because he knew now that his father was a bastard. His father was a coward and a pathetic excuse for a man. He understood that.

It was just hard being a part of a family that he didn’t feel like he belonged to. Scott looked like their mother with soft brown waves, brown eyes, and tan skin. Derek looked like his father with black hair, green eyes, and sharp features. They looked related, but people thought he looked like a cousin, not a brother.

Frustration became an emotion that he felt too often. He got aggravated at the smallest of things. Sometimes he would hear his mom on the phone with grandma talking about how he seemed so angry all of the time, how his academics were fine but he was lacking in the social department. He got frustrated by it all, so he did what every older brother does.

He took it out on Scott.

First it was just little stuff like hiding his favorite toys and stealing his dessert when their mom wasn’t looking, because that was _easy_. Scott would get pouty, but he recognized the challenge. He didn’t cry about it or tell on Derek, he just glared at him and promised to get even. He never did though.

Scott got diagnosed with asthma and Derek laughed at him. His little brother was ever the trooper though as he just rolled his eyes and told him that it was fine. If having an inhaler meant that he could breathe better, then he wanted the inhaler. Derek didn’t have anything to say to that.

Then as time passed he started to bring him down. He called him a “loser” and a “freak” and all of the typical names. But then he started pressing more because Scott was getting older and he could take it. One time he pressed too far though.

It was Scott’s 8th birthday. They still lived with Grandpa and Grandma so there were five of them. They went out to eat and came back to the house for cake and ice-cream and presents. Derek was almost 14 and would be starting high school the next year so the last thing he wanted was to be with his little brother and mom and grandparents.

That’s how he made it look anyway. He didn’t mind spending time with his family, especially since he virtually had no friends at school. He had people that he hanged out with, but they didn’t feel like friends.

Derek would still rather be hanging out with them than celebrating his brother’s birthday. They ate dessert and Scott opened his presents and his mom cleaned up while his grandparents went to bed. Derek was sitting at the kitchen table, watching as Scott carefully put all of his presents back into a big gift bag to make it easier to carry upstairs.

“Five years ago on your birthday was when Dad left.”

Scott looked up from his work to meet Derek’s gaze with wide eyes. “What?”

“Dad left on your third birthday because he didn’t love you. He couldn’t stand looking at you and why would he love an idiot like you who has asthma and gets crummy grades and reads stupid comic books? It’s all your fault, Scott.”

“Mom says that it’s bad to lie,” Scott said, even though it was easy to see that he believed Derek.

“I’m not lying.”

“Yes you are! Dad left because he had to. He had important stuff to do-!”

“Like what?” Derek asked, standing up and leaning across the dining room table. “Mom lied. He didn’t leave because he had important things to do; he left because he couldn’t stand to look at your stupid face every day!”

“Derek!”

Scott and Derek looked up to see their mother standing in the doorway to the dining room. She had tears in her eyes and Derek felt his gut twist. He pushed his chair back and stormed out of the room, but not before hearing his mom console a crying Scott.

“Why is he so mean?”

“Your brother just… he has a lot of anger held up inside of him. He’s different from you, he’s just like…”

She trailed off, but Derek still knew what she was thinking. He was just like his father.

After that he stopped acting mean to Scott. He chose to ignore him instead. They moved to Beacon Hills a week before Derek entered his sophomore year and Scott started the fourth grade. Avoiding each became easier in a house with less people. Their mom got a job at the hospital and was put on the night shift almost every day. Derek would make dinner for two and eat his half before knocking on Scott’s door to signal that there was food downstairs.

It was the night before school started and Scott was freaking out. Their mom was trying to calm him down, but he seemed terrified at the prospect of starting at a new place where he didn’t know anyone. Derek was tempted to point out that he didn’t have any friends at his old school, but he refrained. He had stopped being a terrible brother by not being a brother at all. He wasn’t going to ruin that with some smartass comment.

Eventually Scott calmed down and went to sleep at eight because now he was too excited about school. For some reason Scott was excited to go to middle school in two years even though middle school sucked. Well, Scott didn’t exactly know better since Derek had never told him how much middle school sucked. And their mom always told Scott how each year of school would be even better than the last.

After Scott’s first day of school he came home with a huge smile on his face. “Guess what?”

It took a while for Derek to realize that he was talking to him. “What?”

“I’ve got a friend!” he exclaimed, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet.

“Good for you.”

“His name is Stiles Stilinski.”

There was a short pause and Derek must have made a face because Scott’s excitement instantly faded away. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Derek shrugged. “I just find it hard to believe that someone named their kid Stiles Stilinski. Are you sure he’s not an imaginary friend?”

“He’s real,” Scott said, folding his arms against his chest and pouting.

Derek rolled his eyes, turning back to the book they were assigned in English. “Whatever you say, Scott.”

Scott looked like he was about to argue again when Melissa came in the room. “He is real, Derek. I talked to his mom while we waited to pick them up. He seemed like a very… lively boy.”

“Yeah, and he’s even coming over after school tomorrow to play video games,” Scott said, a hint of smugness in his voice.

“Sounds thrilling,” Derek said, not even attempting to read the book anymore since he was just rereading the same paragraph over and over again.

“I think you’re just jealous.”

That got his attention. Derek finally put down the book and made a waving motion with his hand. “Care to elaborate?”

“Well, you don’t have any friends and I have one now.”

A quick glance to his mother was all Derek needed to see that she thought this was amusing. Derek wasn’t shy or scared of people, he was just introverted. He liked to keep to himself and most people respected that.

“I like being alone.”

“Sure you do,” Scott said condescendingly, nodding his head slowly and patting Derek on his arm.

Before Derek could say anything more, Scott dashed out of the room and to the kitchen to get a snack. Their mom was still leaning against the doorway, giving Derek a soft smile.

“What?” he asked, perking an eyebrow.

“You didn’t snap at him or try to bring him down.”

“Yeah, well, I’m past that,” Derek shrugged, picking up his book once again. He glared at the same paragraph until his mom placed a kiss on the top of his head and went to the kitchen to help Scott.

Derek rode the bus in the afternoons since his school let out before Scott’s and their mom drove him home. He got home to an empty house every day, leaving him time to do whatever he wanted. This usually meant that he did his homework since that was the only thing he could think to do.

The second day of school was over and he was sitting at the kitchen table, doing his Algebra 2 homework and trying not to look in the back for the answers to the odd numbers. He heard the front door open, but didn’t bother looking up from his work. It was just his mom and Scott and Scott’s new friend. Even though he couldn’t remember what his name was. It was something ridiculous, he knew that.

“C’mon, Stiles, the XBOX is in here,” Scott said.

Stiles. Right, that was his name. Derek looked up from his work to see Scott and another nine year-old boy bolt past the kitchen and into the living room. Melissa calmly followed as she entered the kitchen, placing a hand on Derek’s shoulder. “Homework already? It’s only the second day.”

“Well, I’m taking all advanced classes and apparently there’s a lot to learn,” Derek shrugged.

“Good for you,” Melissa said, smiling at him and taking a seat from across the table. “I want to talk to you about something. And before I say anything, I want you to know that it would be a huge help to me.”

“Okay,” Derek said slowly, slightly wary of what she was going to ask.

“You got your permit on your 15 ½ birthday, right?” she started. “And on your 16th birthday you can get your intermediate license. Your grandparents are going to buy you a used car for your birthday, _if_ you can take Scott and pick him up from school every day. I know it’s still a couple of months away, but-.”

“I’ll do it.”

Melissa seemed startled by his sudden response, but then began to grin. “Thank you, Derek. I’ll give you gas money and everything, you’re really helping out. My hours at the hospital are crazy and I can’t stick with night shifts for much longer since I take you two to school in the morning and pick Scott up and-.”

“Mom,” Derek interjected, reaching across the table and placing a hand on top of hers. “It’s fine. I’ll take care of it.”

He squeezed her hand and she smiled at him from across the table. “I’m going to get some sleep before work. Can you make dinner for three tonight? Stiles’ mom is going to pick him up around eight. I’ll be gone by then, so-.”

“ _Mom_. Go, get some rest.”

Melissa paused before nodding and standing up. She left the kitchen and headed upstairs to her bedroom. Derek heard the door click shut and turned back to his homework just as Scott entered the kitchen and stood next to Derek.

“Yeah?” Derek asked, not even bothering to look up from his textbook.

“Can you make us something to eat?”

“Scott, it’s four o’clock. Don’t you think that’s a little too early for dinner?”

“Just a snack.”

Derek sighed and finally pried his eyes away from his textbook. Scott was shuffling his feet and looking nervously at his hands. That image alone made Derek feel a pang of guilt. He just wanted his little brother not to be scared of him anymore.

“Fine,” Derek said, standing up and heading toward the pantry. “What do you guys want?”

“You can’t go wrong with popcorn.”

He had never heard that voice before, but he already knew that it belonged to Scott’s friend.

Stiles Stilinski was gangly and pale with freckles and moles dotted all over his body. His big light brown eyes and pouty lips probably got him out of trouble all of the time and his long brown hair making him look like a sheepdog only contributed to that fact. Along with his black Converse and _Star Wars_ t-shirt it was plain to see that he was a perfect friend for Scott. He was a complete nerd.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer, buddy.”

A nerd with a smart mouth. _Great_.

“I don’t need to take a picture since you’re going to be hanging around my house for the next four hours. And I’m making you dinner, so remember that.”

Stiles was about to open his mouth to retort, but Derek turned his back to him, opening the pantry door. He grabbed the box of popcorn from it and took out a pack, taking the plastic off of it, and putting it in the microwave. Derek leaned against the counter as the microwave hummed, folding his arms across his chest and looking at the two boys.

“So, how’s the fourth grade?”

Scott looked slightly baffled at Derek actually talking to him. His small moment of silence allowed Stiles to pipe up. “It’s okay. We’re reviewing fractions in math, so it’s pretty boring right now. Our teacher seems pretty cool though. I mean he smells kind of weird, but after a while you get used to it and you can’t smell it anymore, but after we come back in the room after lunch the smell like punches you in the face-.”

It was at that moment that Derek realized that Stiles had ADHD. He glanced at Scott, but he was just grinning and nodding along to everything that Stiles is saying. Apparently with friendship comes ignorance.

“-the good thing is that Lydia Martin is in our class again. She was in my class last year which is great because we’re getting married and-.”

The microwave beeped and Derek let out a sigh of relief. He grabbed a big mixing bowl from one of the cabinets and poured the popcorn into it before thrusting it into Scott’s hands. “Dinner’s at seven.”

Derek managed to finish his homework before he started to make dinner. He made hamburger macaroni since everyone liked hamburger macaroni and it was ridiculously easy. Right at seven o’clock, Scott and Stiles bounded into the kitchen. Derek divided it into three bowls and set two on the table before grabbing his.

“Where are you going?” Scott asked.

“I’m going to eat in my room.”

“Oh. Okay.”

There was a short pause as Derek looked from the staircase to Scott sitting at the table. His gaze went to Stiles who was sitting silently at the table, looking intently at his food. Derek sighed before placing his bowl next to Scott’s and sitting down.

Scott’s face lit up as he scooped a spoonful of macaroni. “So, how’s the tenth grade?”

Stiles started to become a permanent fixture in their lives. At least three times a week he would come over after school and eat their food and watch their TV and make it his life mission to bug the shit out of Derek. He talked constantly and was always looking at Derek’s textbooks, making remarks about how easy all of it looked. It had gotten to the point where Derek had given Stiles his Chemistry textbook and told him to do the homework for him if he was so smart. Stiles had said that it was kind of pathetic that Derek had to get a nine year-old to do his homework for him.

So by no means, Derek was the president of Stiles’ fan club, but it was a mutual feeling.The loud mouth kid wasn’t Derek’s first choice to be Scott’s best friend (maybe someone quiet or thoughtful), but he was happy to see that Scott wasn’t alone anymore. In fact it seemed that Scott and Stiles were inseparable since they practically spent every waking moment together. “Scott and Stiles” seemed to be a term used around town and wherever there was Scott, Stiles was usually right beside him.

It got to the point where Derek started to wonder if they had any other friends. Wasn’t it possible to have other friends even when you just had one best friend? Derek wasn’t an expert on friend-making, but he kind of got the feeling that Stiles was just as much of a loner as Scott was before they met each other.

After Derek realized that the three of them fell into the “Alone Club”, he let up on them. Derek didn’t mind being alone, and he was getting to the point of no return, but they were both still in elementary school. They had middle and high school to get through and they would definitely grow out of their awkward phases (well, Scott probably would).

 

**OoOoOoO**

His 16th birthday had fallen on a Sunday that year. Their grandparents had come into town to celebrate with Melissa, Derek, and Scott. Derek went with his grandfather to take his driver’s license exam and then drove back to the house in his new (used) car. It was a black Honda Accord and only a few years old. Melissa had told them that she had expected an old pick-up truck and had refused to accept something so nice, but they had insisted. Besides, it was more like the family’s car since Derek would be driving Scott to and from school.

The following Monday was Melissa’s first shift working normal times instead of nights and Derek’s first day taking Scott to school.

“Be careful,” Melissa said as Derek and Scott slowly inched their way toward the front door. “Drive safe. Wear a seatbelt. Look out for pedestrians. Don’t leave the school parking lot until you’re sure that he’s safe inside the school. When you pick him up after school, park the car at the side entrance and-.”

“-head into the gym where Mrs. Stilinski will be waiting by the bleachers,” Derek finished on autopilot. “Actually talk to Mrs. Stilinski. Don’t just ignore her. I know you don’t like talking to people, Derek, but she’s really lovely and-.”

“Okay, we get the point, Hot Shot,” Melissa said, rolling her eyes before looking at her two sons. “Oh, why do I feel like I’m sending you two off to war?”

“Who knows?” Scott shrugged. “It’s not even the first day of school and Derek drives slower than you do.”

“I only drive slowly wheneverMom’s in the car with me.”

Before Melissa could say anything to that comment, Derek grabbed Scott’s arm and tugged him out of the front door. They headed to the Accord that was parked in the driveway and got in. Derek was tossing his backpack into the backseat when Scott tugged on his jacket sleeve.

“Don’t look now, but Mom’s standing on the front porch looking like she’s about to cry.”

Despite Scott’s advice, Derek did look. She was indeed looking on the verge of tears, clutching a hand over her heart. She met Derek’s eyes and gave a small wave while mouthing an “I love you”. He waved back and gave a smile before buckling his seatbelt.

He dropped off Scott with no problems and made it to Beacon Hills High with five minutes before the first bell rang. The day passed by slowly and predictably. Some girl asked him out and he had declined, Coach Finstock had all but thrown himself at him while trying to get him to join the lacrosse team, and he had almost fallen asleep in Chemistry. It was a blessing when the final bell rang and he was able to go pick up Scott.

The elementary school was about a 10 minute drive from the high school, so he got there five minutes early. He followed the directions his mother had basically drilled into his head and made it into the gym with time to spare.

Everyone in the gym was a mom. There weren’t any dads or older siblings, so Derek felt significantly out of place as he walked in. The feeling of everyone’s eyes on him made him feel more than uncomfortable and he ignored it as best as he could while making his way to the bleachers toward Stiles’ mom.

“Hi Derek.”

“Hi Mrs. Stilinski.”

Derek stood next to the brunette as she looked anxiously toward the gym doors where the kids would be coming through any minute now. He hadn’t really talked to Mrs. Stilinski before. They already had the standard “What are you studying in school?” discussion along with “What do you want to major in when you go to college?” and “Do you have a girlfriend?” questions. She was a nice lady, but Derek always felt awkward around her. She had a calming nature that was so different from Stiles that Derek wondered if they were even related. Obviously they were though since Stiles basically got all of his physical features from her.

“So, how was school?” she asked, looking from the gym doors to him and back again.

Well, Stiles probably got his antsy personality from her.

“It was good,” he shrugged. “I’ve been thinking about trying out for lacrosse.”

That was a bold-faced lie, but his mother had told him to try and make conversation.

“Really?” she asked. “That sounds fun. That’s the one with the sticks with the nets, right?”

“Right.”

There was a long silence where they just looked at each other silently before they both looked away.

“I’m terrible at small talk,” she confessed.

“Me too,” Derek said. “I guess Stiles gets his talkative side from his dad?”

“Oh, God no,” she said, shaking her head. “He’s very reserved and I’m just conversationally awkward. Don’t ask how we started dating, because you’ll never believe me.”

Even if Derek wanted to ask he didn’t get the chance. The gym doors opened and a swarm of elementary school students came rushing out. Maybe Melissa _had_ been sending them off to war that morning. Some kids went straight to their mother while others tried to cling onto their friends as their mother tried to drag them away.

“Shit,” Derek said as he backed against the bleachers.

A mom gave him a dirty look as she scooped up a little girl with strawberry blonde pigtails. Mrs. Stilinski laughed. “You might want to watch your language around the PTA moms.”

“Yeah, good point,” Derek said, still looking at the gym doors where students just kept coming through. “Where are they?”

“Stiles and Scott always stay toward the back so they won’t get trampled. Stiles perfected a system back in the first grade.”

Derek just nodded as he continued to look at all of the kids rushing through. Eventually the crowd thinned until there were no more kids. Derek was about to look at Mrs. Stilinski questioningly when he saw Scott and Stiles striding through the doors and walking leisurely across the gym.

“They hide out in the boys’ bathroom until they don’t hear anyone else in the halls,” Mrs. Stilinski explained.

Yeah, that was pretty smart. The two boys made their way toward them. Scott smiled at Derek while Stiles looked confusedly at his mom.

“Mom, I always go to Scott’s on Mondays,” Stiles said, not even being bothered as Mrs. Stilinski wrapped her arms around her son and kissed him noisily on the cheek.

“I know, but today you have a haircut appointment.”

Apparently the word “haircut” was all it took to strike terror into Stiles’ heart. He parted his ridiculous sheepdog bangs and did a good job of looking absolutely scandalized. “I thought you loved me.”

“Oh, stop with the dramatics,” Mrs. Stilinski said as she crouched down in front of him. “I’m only going to tell them to give you a buzz cut.”

Derek took that back. “Haircut” wasn’t the magic word; it was “buzz cut”. Derek thought that Stiles might need to borrow Scott’s inhaler at the mention of a buzz cut.

“I’m joking!” Mrs. Stilinski said, ruffling his hair. “It’s just a trim. I miss being able to see those beautiful eyes every day.”

“Mom, you just have to look in a mirror to see my eyes,” Stiles said. “We have the same eyes.”

Their banter went back and forth for a bit longer, so Derek turned to Scott. “How was school?”

“It was okay,” Scott shrugged. “How about you?”

“Same.”

Dropping off and picking up Scott from school every day became an easy enough routine. Derek liked the freedom of having his own car and driving to the elementary school was hardly a hassle. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays he would take both Scott and Stiles home while on Tuesdays and Thursdays he talked with Mrs. Stilinski while waiting for the boys.

Eventually the small talk dissipated and they talked about more interesting things. John Stilinski, Stiles’ father, was a police officer while Mrs. Stilinski (who insisted on him calling her “Aria” since “Mrs. Stilinski” made her feel old) was a stay home mom.

“I went to art school, I had a portfolio, but then I met John,” Aria told Derek on the last Thursday before winter break. “And then we got married and our little hyperactive bundle of joy came into our world. I became a mom and art just kind of got pushed to the side.”

“Do you ever think of trying again?” Derek asked.

“Maybe when Stiles graduates high school,” she said. “When he’s in college, or maybe when he’s just older. Your mom is awesome though.”

“What do you mean?”

“Getting pregnant at 16 and pregnant again after that and still going to med school and becoming a nurse?” Aria said. “Now, _that_ is a work ethic I would love to have. But we artsy types are way too lazy for that, right?”

“Yeah.”

She was the first person Derek had ever told about wanting to be an architect. Well, he hadn’t told her as much as she found out. It was a Wednesday and Derek was sitting on the bleachers, sketching in his notebook when she had sat down next to him and asked him what he was drawing. Stiles had a dentist appointment that day, so she was there to pick him up.

(“But they scrape your teeth, Mom. There’s no way that can be good for you.”)

Aria had all but snatched the notebook from him as she flipped through page after page.

“These are all buildings,” she had said.

“Well, I want to be an architect,” he had admitted, scratching the back of his neck.

Her face had instantly lit up as she basically interrogated him. It had been nice to finally tell someone about it. Especially since she was so supportive and even recommended him to a few colleges with good programs.

Christmas break had actually been productive. Derek got a job at a local art store (according to the manager he was “dark and mysterious” and that attracted artsy people into the store) and continued to drive Scott and Stiles around wherever they wanted. His grandparents bought him a cellphone, much to his mother’s chagrin, and he actually met someone.

It was a particularly slow day at the store (slower than usual) when a girl with wavy black hair and green eyes came in the store. Her cheeks were flushed and she looked like she was shivering. Derek was at the register and he watched as she looked around the store with her hands on her hips. Her eyes caught Derek’s and he felt his jaw open slightly. She looked like an older, girl version of himself.

“Whoa,” she said, obviously realizing the same thing as Derek. “They say it’s bad luck to meet your doppelganger, right?”

“That’s what they say,” he said, still staring at the girl.

“Well, you’re not a girl, so I guess it doesn’t count…” she trailed off, walking to the counter and grabbing his nametag. “Derek. Your last name wouldn’t be Hale, would it?”

“It’s McHale.”

“Of course it is,” she said. “Well, I’m Laura Hale and I just moved into town and I need a job. My roommate ditched me and my rich uncle isn’t answering his phone.”

“Rich uncle?”

“Yeah, I think he’s in Hawaii getting fanned with giant palm leaves by girls in bikinis while they feed him grapes. My parents passed away a few years ago and he’s my money source and why am I telling a complete stranger my life story?”

“I probably just have one of those faces.”

Laura seemed to scrutinize him for a moment before tilting her head back and laughing. “Oh wow! I didn’t think that a guy with your bone structure could crack a joke.”

Derek was about to ask her what she meant when the bell above the door chimed. He turned to see the customer, but saw Scott and Stiles hurry into the store. They seemed to be alone and even though almost everything in Beacon Hills was in walking distance they still weren’t allowed to be alone.

“What’s wrong?” he asked as soon as he noticed that Stiles was cradling his arm to his chest.

“I think I broke my arm,” Stiles said.

Scott seemed pretty bruised up as well and Derek just groaned, placing a hand on his forehead. “Why did you come here?”

“Uh, well, we didn’t want to bother Mom and-,” Stiles started.

“You two were doing something that you weren’t supposed to be doing, weren’t you?”

They both looked at the floor. “Can you drive us to the hospital?”

This was definitely going on the list of ridiculous things to ever happen to Derek in the history of his entire life. He needed to take them to the hospital, but he was the only one at the store and he couldn’t just leave his job.

Apparently his dilemma was showing, because Laura was behind the counter in a second, untying Derek’s store apron from him and shoving him away. “I’ll watch the store. You need to take care of your brothers.”

“The one with the broken arm isn’t my brother.”

“And I’m sure I’ll learn that after we get to know each other over the years we’ll be working here together. Now go!”

There wasn’t any arguing with Laura. Derek rushed back to the employees’ only room and grabbed his coat.

“You guys are explaining what happened on the way there,” he said as he entered back into the store and ushered Scott and Stiles toward the door. He looked back at Laura who was pulling her long hair back into a ponytail. “Thank you.”

“Sure thing,” she nodded, smiling at him.

The trio left the store and got into Derek’s car, Scott and Stiles getting into the backseat. Derek adjusted his rearview mirror so that he had a good view of the boys.

“What did you two idiots do this time?” he asked, pulling out of the art store’s parking lot.

Scott and Stiles looked at each other before they both burst into an explanation.

“You see there’s this lake at the preserve, right?”

“And it was frozen over since it’s so cold outside-.”

“-Which is super uncommon, because we live in Northern California, but it’s still _California_ -.”

“-So, we thought that ice skating minus the ice skates would be fun and-.”

“And you both fell over a ton of times, but it was still fun. Well, it was fun until Stiles tripped and landed on his arm, right?” Derek finished.

The silence from the backseat was all the confirmation that Derek needed. After a few more minutes of driving the hospital came into sight. The first thing Derek did was go to the front desk and ask for his mother. They waited for a few minutes until he saw Melissa rushing down the corridor to meet them.

“Stiles broke his arm,” Derek said as a way of greeting.

Melissa opened and closed her mouth a couple of times before looking down at Scott and Stiles who had both found entertainment in the source of their shoelaces.

“I’ll take Scott to the waiting room to talk with him,” Melissa said. “Call Stiles’ parents and stay with him until they get here.”

Derek nodded in understanding before he placed a hand on Stiles’ shoulder and directed him back toward the front desk. A nurse showed them to a room with an X-Ray machine and Stiles sat on the table while Derek sat in one of the hard plastic chairs.

“Call my mom instead of my dad,” Stiles said.

“I’m calling your house, so whoever picks up, picks up,” Derek shrugged.

Stiles groaned before crossing his fingers and muttering “Mom please pick up, Mom please pick up, Mom please pick up…”. The phone started to ring as soon as the doctor came in. Derek gave him a half-smile as Stiles got ready for his X-Ray. Stiles stuck his tongue out at Derek. He shrugged.

The phone was picked up at the fourth ring. “Hello?”

“Hi, Mr. Stilinski,” Derek greeted, smirking at Stiles whose face had turned to one of terror. “This is Derek McHale and I’m with Stiles at the hospital.”

“The hospital?” Mr. Stilinski asked. “Is he all right?”

The doctor motioned for Derek to leave the room since he was about to take the X-Ray. Derek headed outside to be glared at by a nurse. Oh, right. No cellphones in hospitals.

“Yeah, he’s fine,” Derek said before thinking about it more. “Well, he might have a broken arm.”

There was a groan heard from the other line. “I’ll be there in 15 minutes.”

Stiles’ arm was a clean break, but he was still grounded. No TV for a week and he couldn’t come over to Scott’s house for the first week back to school. Scott’s punishment was identical which had him pouting around the house for the rest of winter break.

 

**OoOoOoO**

Summer came and went faster than it should have. Derek spent most of it at the art store working with Laura who he could safely call his best friend. She was three years older than him and a college drop-out. Laura was practically a social butterfly, but she had confessed to Derek that she didn’t really have anyone that she could truly confide in until she had met him. Then she had punched him in the shoulder and said that she hated it when he got all sappy on her.

The other part of his summer was spent driving Scott and Stiles places and helping his mom remodel part of the house. He had finally told her about wanting to be an architect and she had practically thrown her arms around him saying how happy she was.

So, the summer had been great. The first couple of months of his junior year had been fine as well. He had a lot more schoolwork now that he was taking AP classes, but he managed. The art store was rarely busy, so he had plenty of time to do his homework. He continued to take and pick up Scott at school while continuing to talk with Mrs. Stilinski.

Everything was peaceful for once, so of course that’s when something had to happen.

A week had passed since his 17th birthday and Laura was in the back of the store taking inventory. Derek was working on his Biology homework when the store bell chimed. He didn’t bother looking up since he figured the customer would look around before needing to check out.

It wasn’t until someone ringed the bell on the counter (that was probably the first time it had been used) that he looked up.

She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. With long dirty blonde hair, tan skin, and green eyes. She was probably older than Laura, but he couldn’t even find himself caring.

“Hi,” she greeted, leaning against the counter and smiling at him. “I need some help picking out a gift for my niece. She’s going through a painting phase.”

“Uh, right,” Derek said, nodding.

There was silence as they continued to look at each other. The woman pressed her lips together as she started to grin at Derek. “You’re adorable.”

Even though that was something she probably told little kids it still got Derek’s heart pounding in his chest. He attempted to clear his throat, but his body apparently thought that he wanted to grin like a complete idiot instead.

“So, my niece really likes painting now,” she said. “Her birthday is in January, but Christmas is next month so I need a present. Any ideas?”

Derek finally snapped out of it when someone slapped him across the back of the head. Grabbing his head, Derek turned around to see Laura smiling at him sweetly. “Lover boy seems to have momentarily traveled to La La Land. I can show you where we have some paint sets.”

“Thanks,” the woman said, following Laura, but not before smiling and winking at Derek.

She ended up purchasing an expensive oil paint set. She signed the receipt and flipped it over before writing something on the back and giving the store copy to Derek. After she left Derek brought the receipt up to his face to read her name when Laura snatched it from him.

“No way José,” she said, stuffing the receipt into the pocket of her apron. “She is way too old for you and a complete bitch. She probably just wants a boy toy.”

“She’s not a bitch.”

“Oh yes she is. As soon as we were back there all she did was complain about Beacon Hills. Then she made me stand on a ladder for five minutes to find a paint set that was on the top shelf, but the same set was on the bottom and she just ‘happened to find it’.”

“Just give me the receipt, Laura,” Derek said, outstretching his hand toward her. “I just want to know her name.”

Laura stared at him skeptically for a few seconds before sighing and retrieving the receipt from her apron. Derek took it and looked at her loopy signature.

“Kate Argent,” he said before flipping it over to see what she had written on the back. “And her phone number.”

“No,” Laura said, lunging for the receipt.

Derek turned around and shoved it into the pocket of his jeans before glancing at the clock at the wall. “Looks like I should get going.”

“What?” Laura said, looking at the clock. “You still have 15 minutes left in your shift.”

“I’m leaving early,” he said, quickly walking to the backroom.

He took off his apron and grabbed his jacket before heading back to the counter. Laura was glaring at him with her arms folded across her chest. “You don’t have the balls to call her.”

She was right. Derek probably never would have called her. But Laura was saying it like a challenge. Derek smirked as he took his cellphone and the crumpled receipt out of his pocket. He dialed her number and held the phone up to his ear. Kate picked up and he apologized for his behavior in the store. He had just been taken aback since he hadn’t “been expecting someone so beautiful”.

“I’m going to go vomit,” Laura said, rolling her eyes.

Kate was eight years older than him and worked for her family business. She kept the rest to herself though. It didn’t matter to Derek because after going on just one date with her he was convinced that he was in love. She was beautiful and mature and smart. He was convinced that she had no flaws at all.

Laura was convinced otherwise. Whenever Kate came over to the store, Laura would watch her carefully and then act overly nice whenever they talked. Derek just thought that she was jealous, even though he had no idea as to why she would be jealous. She treated Derek like a little brother and she already had a boyfriend of her own. Maybe she was just jealous of the connection that Derek shared with Kate.

It was early December when Scott found out about Kate. Derek had plans with her, but he also had to pick Scott and Stiles up at school and drop them off at home. Kate had insisted that it was fine for her to go along with him to pick them up. So, on Friday, Derek picked up Scott and Stiles with Kate. They sat on the bleachers, holding hands while Kate made up stories about the different moms.

“Her husband is probably cheating on her,” she said, pointing to a particularly chubby woman.

“You can’t know that,” Derek said.

“Oh please,” Kate said, rolling her eyes. “If you were married to her wouldn’t you cheat on her?”

He wouldn’t. If he was married to someone he wouldn’t care what they looked like. He would have married them for a reason.

“Probably.”

Kate found the “Swarm of Kids” (Derek and Aria had given it a proper name during the first week back to school) amusing. She smirked at the little kids running around and clinging to their parents or friends.

“They can get pretty vicious, huh?” she mused.

Derek shrugged and she grinned at him, leaning against his shoulder. “Where’s your brother and his friend?”

“Just wait,” Derek said.

After the Swarm of Kids had passed, Scott and Stiles came strolling into the gym. Derek stood up and made his way down the bleachers, Kate following him with her hand still in his.

“Hey Derek,” Stiles greeted, grinning up at him before his eyes rested on Kate. “Who are you?”

Derek groaned, shaking his head. “That one isn’t my brother.”

“Well, I was hoping he wasn’t,” Kate said, crouching down in front of Scott. “I was hoping Scott would be the one with the adorable brown eyes.”

“I have brown eyes,” Stiles pointed out, glaring at Kate.

Kate ignored him as she ruffled Scott’s hair. “Hey, I’m Kate. I’m your brother’s girlfriend.”

Scott’s “adorable brown eyes” widened almost comically as he looked from Kate to Derek. “Since when do you have a girlfriend?”

“Almost a month,” Kate said, still grinning at Scott. “You know you’re the same age as my niece.”

“Does she go to school here?” Stiles asked.

“She lives in Texas though, so I don’t think you’ll meet her,” she said, ignoring Stiles.

After a few more questions, they headed to the car. Scott and Stiles got in the back while Kate slid into the front, grabbing Derek’s chin and turning his head toward her. She kissed him slowly and thoroughly, pushing her tongue into his mouth and sliding it against his.

She pulled back, smirking at him. Derek’s eyes flickered to the rearview mirror. Scott looked slightly ill while Stiles just glared at Kate. The car was uncomfortably silent as they drove back to the house. Derek stopped in the driveway, but kept the car running.

“You’re not coming in?” Scott asked as he grabbed his backpack and opened the door.

“No, tell Mom I’ll be back before curfew.”

Scott nodded slowly before exiting the car, looking at Kate. “Nice to meet you.”

Kate smiled as she watched Scott make his way to the front door where Stiles was already standing, a scowl on his face. Derek pulled out of the driveway and started to drive toward the exit of the neighborhood.

“Where to?” he asked.

“Let’s head back to my apartment,” she said.

Derek felt his heart start to pound and his hands start to sweat. Maybe it was finally happening. Of course it was happening, she was an older woman with experience and he was a 17 year-old virgin.

His eyes flickered over to Kate. She was sitting in the passenger seat, smirking at him, completely aware of his inner turmoil.

“Your brother is adorable,” she said. “But what is up with that Stiles kid?”

“Stiles?” Derek repeated, raising an eyebrow at her. “I don’t know. He was acting weird today.”

“You mean he doesn’t go around glaring at anyone who comes within a two foot radius of you?”

“What do you mean?”

Kate looked at him thoughtfully, pursing her lips together before shaking her head. “Forget about it.”

Derek didn’t push the topic any further as he drove to her apartment building. She told him when to turn and soon they were parked in front of the building. Kate got out of the car and motioned for him to follow her.

Laura lived in the same apartment building. If she saw him she would never let him live it down, but right now that was the least of his worries. He followed Kate into the building and got into the elevator in the lobby. They rode it to the top floor and by then his hands were sweating even more. Kate seemed to be enjoying his anxiety, grinning as she watched him. She led him to an apartment door and he followed, his heart feeling like it was going to burst through his chest.

Her apartment was upscale, but crowded due to the number of boxes stacked around. She walked through the apartment to room in the back, not commenting on the boxes.

“Have you not unpacked yet?” he asked, walking into the room where there was only a bed and a few other pieces of furniture, no personal items.

She didn’t answer him as she turned around, grabbing his shirt and pushing him down onto the bed. He fell onto his back and didn’t have a second to register what was happening when she straddled his hips and slipped her shirt over her head.

His first time was awkward and clumsy on his part, but Kate made up for it by being perfect. She was completely in control and he was more than happy to let her have that control. He knew the gist of what he was doing, but for most of it he was at a complete loss.

And when it was over she told him that she loved him and he believed her. She had said it with such truth and conviction in her voice that he didn’t know how he couldn’t believe her. Derek had instantly said it back and she had smiled.

Then his phone rang.

“Let it ring,” she said.

“I’m just going to see who it is,” he said.

Derek leaned over the side of the bed and grabbed his jeans that were on the floor. He took his phone out of the pocket and checked the caller ID. It was his mom and it was also 20 minutes after his curfew.

 “Shit,” he said, getting out of the bed and quickly getting dressed.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I’m late for curfew,” he said.

Kate let out a snort, shaking her head. “Well, bye.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said, leaning over and kissing her.

She gave him a smile before he left her apartment. He made it back home in 10 minutes with Melissa waiting for him in the living room.

“I’m sorry,” he said instantly.

He expected yelling. He expected head shaking. He expected to get grounded.

What he got was his mother’s arms wrapping around him. “You’re a teenager! I knew you were deep down inside!”

“Uh, what?” Derek asked, patting his mom awkwardly on the back.

“I was so happy when you got a job and you and Laura started being friends and now you’re staying out after your curfew!” Melissa said, pulling back from Derek to put her hands on his shoulders to look at him. “Congratulations! You’re a normal teenager!”

“So, you’re not mad?” he asked.

“Of course I’m mad,” she said, still smiling and patting him on the back. “You’re grounded for a week. No using the car for anything but school and work.”

He should have seen that coming. Tomorrow was Saturday and he told his mom he was working from 10-4 even though it was only a 4 hour day for him. He planned on going to Kate’s apartment after work, but that thought was challenged when he saw Laura.

Laura came in at 12 and as soon as she saw him she wrapped her arms around him. “I’m sorry, sweetie.”

“What for?” he asked.

“You don’t know?” she asked.

Derek shook his head and the only word to describe her expression was pity. She pitied him and he didn’t even know why.

“When was the last time you talked to Kate?”

“Yesterday night after we…” he trailed off, a smile overcoming his face.

Laura looked at him for a moment before she looked like she realized something. Her mouth fell open and she covered it with her hand. “Oh, Derek. I’m so sorry.”

Now he was just getting aggravated. “Sorry for what?”

“She moved today. We live in the same apartment building and I saw movers coming in and taking out all of her stuff.”

Derek felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. It didn’t make any sense though. They had made love yesterday. Why would she just leave after all of that? Why would she tell him that she loved him if she was just going to leave?

Then he realized that she had never answered his question about the boxes. He went to her apartment after work to find it empty. He called her cellphone number, but the number wasn’t in service anymore.

 

**OoOoOoO**

The rest of his junior year went by quickly. The last day of school was on Friday and it was Monday and Scott was sick. He had a fever and their mom was staying home with him. Derek left later than usual since he didn’t have to drop him off that day. He was happy that he would just have to drive straight home when he realized that it was a Monday. He usually picked up Stiles on Mondays and his mom probably hadn’t called Aria to tell her that Scott wouldn’t be at school that day. Derek contemplated calling Aria to tell her, but then decided to just pick up Stiles himself.

When he arrived at the elementary school Aria wasn’t there, so he knew that he had made the right call. He would just drive Stiles to his house, then head on home. Or he could call his mom and tell her he had to go into work when he was really getting his tattoo.

He had been thinking about it for a while. “A while” translating into when Kate had left. It had taken him about a month to accept what Laura had always told him. She was a heartless bitch who hadn’t been looking for anything serious and hadn’t thought to tell him that. He had been such a complete idiot. Obviously falling in love wasn’t for him. Nevertheless, it had been an important (if painful) part of his life. So, he wanted to do something to solidify that. A tattoo made the most sense and even though he didn’t turn 18 until November, he still didn’t feel like waiting.

After he dropped off Stiles he would head to the parlor 15 minutes out of Beacon Hills and get it done. And try to hide it from his mom as long as he could. They were going to the beach with their grandparents this summer on vacation. He’d probably have a week of summer to enjoy before Melissa killed him.

Derek was brought out of his thoughts by the Swarm of Kids. He was sitting on the top row of the bleachers, so he was able to get a good overview. Once the swarm had ended he watched the gym doors and waited for Stiles to come out.

Once he entered the gym he didn’t do it with the usual swagger that he had when he was with Scott. He actually looked a little nervous. He probably thought that no one was there to get him since Scott hadn’t been at school.

Derek watched as Stiles scanned the gym, eyes eventually traveling toward the bleachers, up the bleachers, and finally settling on Derek. Instantly his eyes lit up and he bounded toward the bleachers, quickly running up the steps.

“Dude, I thought I was done for,” Stiles said, standing on the step in front of Derek.

“How so?”

“Well Scott wasn’t here and my mom doesn’t get me on Mondays,” Stiles explained. “Scott’s been absent like two times this year and they were both on Tuesdays. You’re a lifesaver!”

“I wouldn’t say a lifesaver, but you’re welcome,” Derek shrugged, standing up and making his way down the bleachers. “I’m going to drop you off at home because Scott’s sick.”

“But no one’s home,” Stiles said, following Derek out of the gym. “My dad’s working and my mom’s spending time with her college roommate. My dad was supposed to pick me up from your house at eight.”

“Do you mind hanging around the house until your dad gets you?”

“Well, if Scott’s sick, then I won’t have much to do,” Stiles said. “What are you doing? Are you working? Because I can hang out at the art store if you are. I always love seeing Laura and I won’t get in the way.”

“I’m not working, I’m going to…” Derek trailed off before looking at Stiles.

Stiles’ was looking up at him expectantly, waiting for what he was going to say next. The kid couldn’t keep his mouth shut for anything, but he was loyal to a fault. If Derek told him to keep the tattoo a secret, then he wouldn’t tell anyone about it.

“I’m getting a tattoo.”

The reaction he got from Stiles was almost comical. His eyes grew even bigger than normal and his mouth dropped open. “A tattoo?”

“Yeah,” Derek said, shrugging as he headed toward his car.

“Where are you going to get it? Does it have any meaning or do you think it’s just cool to get a tattoo? Where are you going to get it done? Is it going to be big or small? What’s it going to be of?”

“My back, yes it has a meaning, a parlor outside of Beacon Hills, I guess it’s going to be kind of big, and a triskelion.”

“Bless you.”

“What?”

“You sneezed.”

“No I didn’t.”

“Then what was that noise you just made?”

“A triskelion?”

“Yeah, that.”

Derek shook his head, turning away from Stiles to get into the front seat of the car. Stiles joined him in the passenger’s seat and he tossed his backpack in the back. “What’s a triskel- whatever?”

“A triskelion is a pattern that-hold on,” Derek held up a finger before reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and handed it to Stiles.

“It looks kinda girly,” Stiles said, scrunching up his nose as he turned the paper. “What’s it mean?”

Ignoring the girly comment, Derek let Stiles keep the paper as he pulled out of the elementary school parking lot. “It’s a connection of three spirals, so it can mean three different things. It’s different to each interpreter.”

“What’s it mean to you?”

“Past, present, and future,” Derek shrugged. “My past is shit, I’m currently not where I want to be, and hopefully in the future things will work out.”

“That’s cool.”

They sat in silence as Derek continued to drive. Stiles’ was bouncing up and down in his seat as he looked out the window. It pained Derek to admit that he actually liked the kid. Not only had he saved Scott from being a loner, but he was also decently intelligent and didn’t take shit from anyone. Derek could respect that.

“So, what’s your choice?” Derek asked. “Do you want to hang out with Scott until your dad gets you or do you want to come with me to get this thing and I’ll drop you off at your house afterward?”

Apparently today was Stiles’ day to seem shocked and amazed by everything that Derek said. “I can come with you?”

“If you want.”

“Hm, let me think, do I want to watch Scott sleep and get snot all over himself or watch you be in agonizing pain for a couple of hours?” Stiles mused, tapping a finger to his chin. “Yeah, I’m gonna go with the second option.”

They continued to talk (well, Stiles talked _at_ Derek) for the rest of the ride until they arrived at the tattoo parlor. No one else was in there except for a handful of bored-looking employees. They perked up when Derek came in and didn’t even ask for proof of him being 18. Derek filled out some paperwork before they followed a girl with tattoos covering her arms into a back room. He told her what she wanted done and she nodded before telling him to take off his shirt.

“Are you scared?” Stiles asked as the girl began to clean Derek’s back with rubbing alcohol.

“No,” Derek said. “Are you scared?”

“Why would I be scared?” Stiles asked. “You’re the one getting a permanent mark on your skin that will never come off.”

“Well, you might be squeamish.”

“I’m not.”

“So, you wouldn’t have any problem getting a tattoo?”

“Nope.”

Derek smirked, looking at Stiles who had his arms folded across his chest with a defiant look on his face.

“Is he your brother?” the tattoo artist asked.

“Cousin,” Derek said almost automatically.

Stiles made a face at that. Derek didn’t ask why. “So, if you don’t have a problem with getting a tattoo, why don’t you get one?”

“Derek, I’m 11,” Stiles said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I’m not allowed to get one.”

“Yeah, but when you turn 18, would you get one?”

Stiles thought about it for a moment before shrugging. “Sure, why not?”

“Well, let’s shake on it then.”

Derek held out his right hand and Stiles stared it down for a few minutes before shrugging and slapping his hand against his. “Deal.”

After a few hours of mild pain and Stiles looking like he was going to be sick every time he looked at Derek’s back, the tattoo was finished. The artist put a bandage on it and handed him a pamphlet giving him aftercare instructions. It was past eight o’clock by a few minutes so Derek called the Stilinski household. Aria picked up the phone and Derek told her that he had taken Stiles to work with him since Scott was sick.

They were driving to the Stilinski house when Derek noticed Stiles looking at his back. He had put his shirt back on, so the bandage wasn’t even visible. “What is it?”

“Huh?” Stiles asked, jumping a little as he came out of his daze. “What’s what?”

“You’re staring at me,” Derek said.

“Pssh, no I’m not.” Stiles scoffed, looking out the window.

Derek dropped it, but several more times during the drive back to the Stilinski house he felt eyes on him.

 

**OoOoOoO**

Senior year was easy for Derek. The sixth grade was difficult for Scott.

All of Scott’s notions about middle school had ended up being wrong and when Derek picked him up at school the first day he had a scowl on his face.

“What’s wrong?” Derek asked as soon as Scott slipped into the front seat.

Scott didn’t say anything and Derek felt his impatience running thin. As soon as Scott had his seatbelt on Derek followed the carpool line out of the school parking lot.

“Stiles is in the advanced class,” Scott said after they had been driving for a few minutes. “We’re on the same team, but Stiles is in advanced.”

“Good for him,” Derek said.

“Yeah, but…” Scott trailed off.

“But what?”

“I’m in a class with this guy named Jackson Whittemore and he’s a complete jerk,” Scott explained. “And I figured that if I just stayed out of his way that he wouldn’t bother me. But in gym I was talking to our teacher about my asthma and Jackson overheard and made fun of me.”

“He made fun of you for having asthma?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“This guy does know that asthma is a health condition that you have no control over, right?” Derek asked, his grip on the steering wheel tightening.

“Probably. I mean, he’s not stupid or anything.”

“No, he’s not stupid, he’s just an asshole.”

There was silence from the passenger’s seat and Derek glanced over to see Scott gaping at him. Oh, maybe he had overstepped his bounds. He had spent so long distancing himself from Scott and now he was trying to defend his honor. It was probably too much for Scott to handle.

“I _know_!” Scott said, throwing his arms up in the air.

Or maybe it wasn’t too much for him to handle.

“It’s not like I _chose_ to have asthma,” he said. “And having asthma doesn’t make me a nerd or a loser or anything. I just have trouble breathing and he picks on me because of that. He’s even worse to Stiles though.”

“How so?”

“Even though Stiles is in a different class, all of the boys still have gym together,” Scott said. “Stiles was talking about Lydia Martin and Jackson overheard and asked if he was talking about the red head and Stiles said yeah and Jackson kind of smirked and then after school while we were all waiting at the carpool Jackson goes over to Lydia and asks her out and she says yes and then he smirks at Stiles before getting into his family’s Porsche!”

“Inhaler, Scott,” Derek said after his brother had finished his speech.

Scott was already a step ahead of him, fishing his inhaler out of his pocket and pressing it to his mouth. He took a few breaths before turning to Derek. They stopped at a red light and Derek looked over at Scott who was still looking at him.

“So, isn’t Jackson a jerk for doing that to Stiles?” Scott said.

“Yeah, but she’s only one girl and you guys are 11,” Derek shrugged. “It was a douche move, but Stiles will get over it.”

“Uh, no, he won’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because Lydia is the love of his life!” Scott exclaimed. “He’s loved her since the third grade, Derek. He’s already told me about their wedding. Stiles and I have already decided to be best friends forever and we met in the fourth grade. He’s known Lydia longer!”

“Right,” Derek said, slowly nodding his head.

“You don’t believe me now, but just you wait,” Scott said, slumping against his seat. “I’m gonna be the best man.”

The drive back home was finished in comfortable silence. Scott went straight to the kitchen to get a snack while Derek dropped his backpack off before getting back into his car and going to work. When he got there the register was unmanned and he heard talking from the back where the sketch pads and charcoal were.

“What about this?”

“That looks good, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, it looks _good_ , but I want it to look awesome. Not like Derek’s which is so boring.”

“What do I have that’s boring?”

Derek walked into the aisle to see Aria, Laura, and Stiles sitting on the floor, all looking at a sketchbook that Aria had in her lap.

“Your tattoo,” Stiles shrugged. “Mom is drawing my future one.”

“Wait, you told your mom about-.”

“-You taking my son to a tattoo parlor and then making him decide that he wanted one too?”

“I didn’t make him decide to get one, Aria, I promise.”

Aria eyed him cryptically for a moment before shaking her head and laughing. “I’m not upset with you, Derek. Do you think I would be drawing the design for him if I was? Besides, I’m happy that he’s telling me in advance instead of letting me find out on a family vacation.”

Derek winced at that. He had managed to avoid taking his shirt off in front of anyone for the first day of vacation. On the second day Scott was begging for him to take him to the beach. It was just the two of them so he took his shirt off and answered Scott’s 100 questions about the tattoo before they headed into the ocean. Derek had forgotten all about it when they headed back to where their mom was reading a book in a beach chair. She took one look at his back and promptly grounded him from car privileges for a month after they went back home.

“That was a mistake on my part,” Derek said, sitting down next to Laura and leaning over to get a look at the sketchbook.

Stiles grabbed the sketchbook from Aria before Derek could look though. “You’ll see when I get it done.”

“What? Seven years from now?”

“Yeah,” Aria nodded. “And you’re taking him. I get squeamish around needles. So, I guess I need to buy this sketchbook now, huh?”

“Nah, just rip the page out and but the book back on the shelf,” Laura said with a wave of her hand. “No one will know.”

Derek was just about to tell her that that was kind of going against their job when Aria shrugged, tucking the sketchbook under her arm. “I’ll buy it. I need a new sketchbook anyway.”

Laura and Aria made their way back to the register while Derek and Stiles continued to sit on the floor. Derek thought back to what Scott had told him in the car after school. He wondered if he should bring it up when Stiles brought up a subject of his own.

“My tattoo is gonna be pretty badass,” Stiles said.

“Really?” Derek asked. “What’s it going to be of? Oh wait, I won’t know until seven years from now. Too bad I forgot where I parked my TARDIS.”

Stiles didn’t say anything and Derek wondered if it was because he didn’t get the reference. He turned his head to look at Stiles who was currently gaping at him in pure shock.

“You- You, _Derek McHale_ , watch _Doctor Who_?” he asked.

“Uh, yeah,” Derek shrugged.

“Oh my God, you are so much cooler than I thought you were,” Stiles said, still in a state of awe. “Did you watch ‘Doomsday’ back in July? I am not ashamed to say that I cried… a lot. And now we have to wait until the Christmas special and Rose isn’t going to be in it, so really what’s the point, but Tennant is such a good Doctor that I’ll have to watch and-.”

“You’re not going to watch _Torchwood_?” Derek interjected.

“ _Torchwood_?” Stiles asked. “The alien-hunting institute?”

“Yeah, well there’s going to be a spin-off show called _Torchwood_ starring John Barrowman,” Derek shrugged. “It premieres in October.”

Derek was pretty confident that in that moment in time he was Stiles’ new favorite person. “They’re making a _Doctor Who_ spin-off? Oh man, that is beyond awesome! What do you know about it?”

He was about to answer when Aria came walking toward them. “All right, sweetie, let’s go.”

Stiles looked from Derek to his mother as if he was torn in two. Derek made the choice for him by standing up and then pulling Stiles up to his feet.

“Derek, you’re still going to pick Stiles up on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, right?” Aria asked.

“Yeah, I can do that.”

“Thank you,” she said, wrapping an arm around Stiles’ shoulder and steering him toward the entrance.

Stiles turned his head around to look at Derek. “We’re finishing this conversation!”

And that was how it started. Leading up to the fateful day of October 22nd, Derek and Stiles started marathon watching _Doctor Who_ to get them ready for the _Torchwood_ premiere. They only watched after school on Mondays because Derek didn’t work Mondays and Scott said that he needed Stiles for both Wednesday and Friday. It was fine though. Derek enjoyed having someone to watch the episodes with. Melissa didn’t get it and after Scott had called Billie Piper “ugly” he was officially kicked to the curb.

Stiles’ was actually a great person to watch the episodes with. Watching _Doctor Who_ felt like the only times that Stiles’ was actually quiet. Of course he laughed or rocked back and forth in panic or excitement. And when they re-watched “Doomsday” he cried his eyes out.

(“He never got the chance to say it, Derek!” Stiles cried, wildly gesturing toward the TV.

“I know,” Derek said, wrapping an arm around Stiles’ shoulders as the boy grabbed fistfuls of tissue. “But Rose is going to come back. This is Rose Tyler we’re talking about here.”

“But they’re in parallel universes! You _know_ what that means, Derek!”)

The _Torchwood_ premiere was a two part episode on a Sunday. Since it wasn’t airing in America Derek had to download it on to the family computer late Sunday night. Before heading to school on Monday he checked the download to make sure it was completed.

When Scott and Stiles got into his car after school on Monday, Scott looked annoyed and Stiles was practically buzzing with excitement. They got home and Derek and Stiles all but ran toward the computer while Scott calmly walked through the front door, making sure to call them dorks at least three times.

“Are you ready?” Derek asked, the mouse hovering over the play button.

“Dude, I was born ready.”

Derek pressed play and for the next hour and a half they shut out the outside world and just watched the show. When the two episodes were over they continued to sit in front of the computer screen just staring.

“That was awesome.” “I should not have let an 11 year-old watch that.”

Stiles pried his eyes away from the ending credits to face Derek. He looked absolutely scandalized. “I am totally old enough to handle that!”

“That was a lot more graphic than _Doctor Who_ ,” Derek said.

“Yeah, so?” Stiles shrugged. “It was awesome and I have a crush on Gwen now. Don’t make me let that go. Especially since I just got over Rose.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Derek said, rolling his eyes.

He had to admit that Gwen was pretty hot, not to mention completely kickass and awesome. But for some reason Derek couldn’t help but perk up at the screen whenever Ianto showed up. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind as he turned back to Stiles.

“Tell your mom it was about the same as _Doctor Who_ ,” Derek said.

“Yes!” Stiles said, fist pumping before throwing his arms around Derek. “Thanks Derek!”

Derek patted Stiles awkwardly on the back just as Scott popped his head in the room. Stiles recoiled from Derek to turn to greet Scott.

“Hey man,” Stiles said, giving a small wave.

“Is it over yet?” Scott asked.

“Yeah.”

Scott grinned and made an ushering movement with his hands. Stiles gave Derek a final smile before heading out of the room with Scott.

It became a tradition that every Monday, Derek and Stiles would watch the new _Torchwood_ episode. Christmas Eve had a new episode and Christmas was the _Doctor Who_ special. They watched them back-to-back on the 26th, eating leftovers and drinking hot chocolate that Melissa was in the mood to make. The _Torchwood_ finale was on January 7th and _Doctor Who_ wasn’t set to come back until March. Melissa was convinced that the break was a good thing since Derek had to decide what college he was going to.

He had applied to a handful, all in California, but in the end decided on a city college that was only 20 minutes away. Derek was going to live at home so that he could still take Scott to school and pick him up. Their mom had rejected the idea at first, but after Derek had sat her down and told her that he just wanted to help she agreed.

The rest of the school year passed by smoothly with Derek and Stiles excitedly watching the new season of _Doctor Who_ (“I totally have a crush on Martha. She’s _awesome_!”) and Derek actually going to prom. He went with a junior girl who had nervously asked him after first period. He picked her up and her mom took a few thousand pictures before they went out to dinner. They spent about an hour at prom before going back to Derek’s car. He drove out to the preserve and they had sex in the backseat. She had told him that he was her first, he lied and said that she was as well.

Derek graduated with honors and Melissa cried. Laura had made fun of his cap and gown. His grandparents said that they were so proud. Scott complained. The recently made Sheriff Stilinski had offered him his congratulations. Aria had pulled him into a tight hug. Stiles had followed suit with some kind of tackle hug that had ended with them falling over.

For once everything was perfect for Derek. So naturally that was when things fell apart again.

 

**OoOoOoO**

It was a Wednesday in November and Derek was sitting in the carpool, waiting for Scott and Stiles. He had three classes that day from 9 to 12, so he had gotten in a quick shift at the art store before coming to pick the boys up.

The doors to the backseat opened and Derek turned around to greet them. Scott was looking completely helpless as he glanced over at Stiles. And Stiles… had a buzz cut. Derek knew that he was staring and he didn’t stop until he heard someone honk their horn from behind him. He pressed down on the gas and drove out of the parking lot.

“So, uh, that’s kind of a big change, huh, Stiles?” he said, looking in his rearview mirror to see Stiles staring out of the window.

“Yeah,” Stiles shrugged.

The lack of response was even more bizarre than the new haircut. Derek was expecting a story about him getting gum in his hair and having to shave it off. Or Aria had lost her mind and had shaved it off while he slept. Or Cybermen had deleted just his hair. Anything made more sense than Stiles willingly getting a haircut.

Derek didn’t press the subject though since he felt like something was genuinely wrong. If Stiles wanted to talk about it, then he would talk about it.

“When’s Mom going to be home from work?” Scott asked, breaking the silence.

“Probably around six,” Derek shrugged. “I’m leaving as soon as I drop you two off though.”

“Why?”

“I have a date.”

Well, “date” was a word for it. After everything that had happened with Kate, Derek was pretty sure that he was fucked when it came to relationships. His “first love” had ended terribly, so terribly that he was adamant to even call it his first love. The first month of college a girl in his English class had asked him out. He had agreed and had taken her out to dinner. About 20 minutes in he realized that he was a terrible conversationalist and the date ended quickly after that. He walked her back to her dorm and at the last second she had asked if “he wanted to at least get something out of their failed date”. It was needless to say that he didn’t come back home until much after that.

So, dating wasn’t for Derek. Casual sex, on the other hand, was something he was basically a pro at. It didn’t require talking and if he never saw the person again, then there were no hard feelings. Derek was practically made for it.

The only person who knew was Laura. He had let it slip that he was seeing a guy (his Big Bisexual Freak-out had lasted about three seconds until he realized that it didn’t really matter) after work that day. She had pounced with questions about where they were going and how long they had been seeing each other and so on and so forth. When he explained everything to her she had scrunched up her nose and said that she couldn’t do it, but if he wanted to then that was his choice.

“A ‘date’, right,” Scott said, nodding his head slowly. (Okay, so maybe Scott knew about it as well.) “Guy or girl?”

Derek’s eyes flickered to the rearview mirror and saw that Stiles had perked up a bit at the comment. “It’s a girl.”

 Apparently this was the only thing Scott wanted to know. He slumped back against his seat and continued to glance nervously as Stiles.

They were almost home when Stiles finally spoke up. “Can you drop me off at home?”

“Is anyone there?” Derek asked.

“Mom should be home.”

Derek didn’t press it any further and changed his route to the Stilinski home. It was closer to the school than the McHale residence, so it didn’t take long to get there. Derek parked in the driveway next to Aria’s Jeep and without a word Stiles opened the door, thanked Derek for the ride, and then made his way to the front door. Derek wanted to make sure that Stiles was safe inside before driving off so he waited for Aria to open the door.

When she did open the door Derek barely noticed Scott getting into the front seat next to him. He barely noticed Stiles wrapping his arms around his mother. All he noticed was Aria standing in the doorway, looking frail with a scarf wrapping around her head, no brown hair spilling from underneath. It was like someone had punched him in the gut. Except being punched in the gut would have been worse.

Aria caught his eye and he snapped out of whatever daze he had been in. She waved and gave him what must have been the saddest smile he had ever seen. Scott didn’t seem to notice anything as he waved back at Aria.

Derek pulled out of the driveway and headed home. Once he got there he canceled his date and sat in the living room, waiting for his mom to get home. Scott obviously had no idea what was going on as he ate a snack, did his homework, and played a video game. He kept glancing at Derek strangely as they sat on the couch together, but he didn’t press the subject.

Melissa came home at exactly six o’clock. She walked in the room, seeming surprised at seeing both Derek and Scott. Derek didn’t even let her get a greeting out.

“How bad is it?”

Her face instantly dropped. Scott didn’t seem to notice. “How bad is what?”

“Nothing, sweetie,” Melissa said quickly, gesturing for Derek to follow her into the kitchen. “I just need to talk to your brother.”

Derek went with her into the kitchen, ruffling Scott’s hair as he left the living room. Melissa chose to sit at the kitchen table, but when she pointed toward the chair across from her, Derek shook his head.

“How bad is it?” he repeated.

“She’s not responding to treatment anymore,” Melissa said, her voice practiced and clinical. “We’ll probably have to hospitalize her in a few days and after that it’s just…”

“Just a matter of time?” Derek finished for her.

“Yeah.”

“Holy shit.”

If this was any other time Melissa would have scolded him for cursing. Instead she just sat there quietly, folding her hands in front of her and pressing her lips together. Derek leaned against the back of the kitchen wall as he covered his eyes with his hands. There was some shuffling from the living room and he didn’t even have to look to know that Scott had heard everything.

“It’s Mrs. Stilinski, isn’t it?” Scott asked. “She’s sick, isn’t she?”

“Yeah,” Melissa said, her voice soft.

Derek kept his hands covering his eyes as he heard Scott move toward their mom and ask her questions. It was suffocating. Absolutely stifling. He had to get out of there. He had to _go_.

He barely heard his mom call after him as he headed upstairs to his room. Derek grabbed the sketchbook he kept wedged between his mattress and the box spring. He went back downstairs and grabbed his jacket and keys before going outside.

It didn’t take 10 minutes to get to the Stilinski house and once there he ran to the front door and knocked loudly. The Jeep was still there and the police cruiser was still gone, so he knew she was there.

Stiles’ was the one who opened the door. He looked up at Derek and opened and closed his mouth a few times before deciding on what to say.

“She doesn’t want your pity, Derek.”

“I’m not here to give her any.”

And then Stiles was tripping over his own feet as he moved toward Derek, wrapping his arms around his middle and burying his face into his chest as he cried. Derek instantly coiled an arm around Stiles’ shoulders before resting a hand on top of his head.

“Come on in.”

Aria was leaning against the wall in the foyer. She looked even worse up close and Derek wanted to know how he could have missed it. How could he not have seen how sick she had become? He felt like such a fucking idiot. She must have found out over the summer and had been going to treatment. The lack of hair was recent, but he knew that she had probably been looking that sick for a while now.

“Stiles, please detach yourself from Derek so he can walk through the front door,” Aria said.

Stiles remained rooted to the spot and Derek just shrugged his shoulders at Aria who smiled. She shook her head and started to walk toward the kitchen. “Sweetie, I want to talk to Derek alone. Can you give us some space, please?”

After a few long seconds, Stiles stepped back from Derek, rubbing his nose with the back of his hand. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Derek shrugged, placing a hand on top of Stiles’ head before following Aria into the kitchen. “The hair looks good, Stiles.”

“Thanks,” Stiles said.

Once they were in the kitchen, Derek quickly pulled out a chair for Aria who looked up at him and rolled her eyes. “I’m not made of glass.”

Derek chose to ignore that statement as he sat across from her. He placed the sketchbook on the table and slid it over to her. She perked an eyebrow before flipping the sketchbook open to the first page. Derek waited impatiently as she flipped through page after page, taking her time to scrutinize each drawing.

“These are really good,” she said.

“They’re for my portfolio,” he said.

“Portfolio for…?”

“Application for the Architecture Major,” he said, suddenly finding the stitching in his jacket to be fascinating. “I want to get my Bachelor.”

He hadn’t shown anyone the portfolio yet. Derek had gone to the school library to look through some old portfolios that had been accepted and he always felt like his work paled in comparison. He was passionate about it, but being passionate about something and being good at it were two different things.

“What’s the plan after getting the Bachelor?”

“Get a job at a firm while working on my Architectural Doctorate,” he said. “and then, hopefully, open up my own firm.”

There was silence from the other side of the table. Derek looked up to see Aria gaping at him, her hand paused in the air, holding a page as she flipped it. The page fell from her fingertips and fluttered back to the pad. She didn’t notice.

“ _Architectural Doctorate_?” she repeated, her eyes wide.

“Um, yes,” Derek nodded.

“You could start going by ‘Doctor McHale’,” she said.

“Yeah, I probably won’t though.”

“But you _could_! ‘Dr. McHale, you have a meeting at five.’ ‘Dr. McHale, could you please go over my drawing of this archway or pillar or whatever?’ ‘Dr. McHale, please tell me all of your secrets and then take me right here on this desk!’”

“And this conversation just took an inappropriate turn.”

Aria laughed, shaking her head and closing the sketchbook before handing it back to Derek. “I’m just saying that the ladies will love the title… and the guys too, I guess.”

Derek took the sketchbook from her. “Did my mom tell you?”

“Of course she did,” Aria shrugged. “She doesn’t care, I don’t care, and no one cares. But, your mom probably does care that it's dinnertime and you’re not home.”

Before Derek could get another word out he was being ushered out of the kitchen and to the front door. Stiles was sitting on the top of the stairs and Derek waved up at him. He didn’t know if he waved back because Aria was pulling him into a tight hug.

“I’ll see you later,” she said, giving him a warm smile.

“Definitely,” he nodded.

Derek gave one final goodbye before leaving the house and getting in his car to drive home.

She was hospitalized on a Saturday. Derek started dropping off and picking up Scott and Stiles at school every day of the week. No one talked in the car except for when Scott said goodbye to Stiles when they dropped him off at the hospital’s front entrance every day. Derek didn’t leave the parking lot until Stiles was safe beside his dad who was waiting for him. The Sheriff would wave at Derek as Scott got into the front seat. Scott would always be the first one to talk once they left the hospital.

“I wish there was something that I could do,” he said.

“All you can do is be there for him,” Derek said. “You’re his best friend, Scott.”

“Yeah,” Scott nodded. “Do you think I could go to the hospital with him to visit her one day? One day when you’re working so that you can pick me up on your way back?”

“I’m sure we can work something out.”

And they did work something out. Scott was able to go with Stiles to the hospital at least one day a week and Derek would drop by to pick him up after work. Thanksgiving passed and so did Christmas and the New Year. Stiles and Derek watched the _Doctor Who_ Christmas special and things had almost felt back to normal. (“But Astrid was _so_ awesome!” “I know.” “How could they kill her off?” “Drama? I don’t know. But, hey, look on the bright side, _Torchwood_ comes back in January.” “You’re shitting me right now, aren’t you?”)

It was the first day of February and Derek had gotten home from a shift at the art store. Melissa was sitting at the kitchen table with her hands folded in front of her. Derek didn’t say anything, waiting for his mom to bring up the conversation.

“She’s not going to last much longer,” Melissa said. “You should visit her soon.”

“I’ll go tomorrow,” he said before leaving the kitchen.

The next day was a Saturday so he woke up early, left a note for his mom on the kitchen table, and headed to the hospital. He managed to get in front of her door before he walked away and headed toward the bathroom. After leaning against the sink for five minutes, pressing his forehead against the cool mirror, Derek felt a warm hand clasp onto his shoulder.

“She wants to see you,” the Sheriff said. “I could use a break too. Talk to her and I’ll go get coffee.”

“Where’s Stiles?” Derek asked.

“He’s with her, but he’s asleep,” the Sheriff said, a fond smile taking over his face. “He won’t wake up for anything.”

He left, leaving Derek alone once again. His feet felt like they were rooted to the spot, but he managed to break away. Her room was close to the bathroom and since she was probably expecting him, he didn’t bother knocking.

“There he is,” Aria said, her voice soft and weak.

And there _she_ was. Nothing could have prepared him for the sight of her. She looked tiny, but almost ancient. It was like she had lived a thousand lives and was just waiting for release. Knowing Aria, she probably was looking for release.

Derek’s eyes flickered to Stiles who was curled up at her side. He was turning 13 in just over two months, but he looked younger somehow. Not weak like she was, just young and vulnerable. Derek had never wanted to run away from something more.

“Hi,” he greeted lamely, keeping his voice low and taking a seat next to her.

“How are you?”

And of course she would be the one asking him that.

“I’m good.”

“How’s school? Did you get into the program?”

“School’s fine,” Derek said. “I don’t submit my application until the fall semester, so…” “ _I guess we’ll know then._ ”

He couldn’t bring himself to finish the statement seeing as how she wasn’t going to be able to know.

“I’m sure you’ll get in,” she assured, placing a hand over one of his.

He tried desperately to ignore all of the needles stuck in her hand. Stiles stirred next to her and his eyes instantly flickered toward the sleeping boy.

“He talks about you constantly,” she said, her voice filled with nothing but fondness. “He basically thinks you’re the coolest person ever.”

“Yeah, well, he’s not too bad,” Derek shrugged, eyes still focused on Stiles. “He’s the only one who will watch _Doctor Who_ with me.”

“Sorry about that,” she said. “I tried watching the first episode with him, but people were turning into mannequins and I just don’t get British humor.”

Derek chuckled, shaking his head and looking back at her. She was still looking at Stiles though, so Derek followed her gaze. Briefly he thought about how funny it would be if Stiles just woke up. He’d probably take one look at them staring at him before shouting and falling backward, landing on the floor.

“Take care of him for me.”

He wanted to say no. He didn’t want the responsibility of taking care of Stiles. But he knew that someone would have to. Because Stiles would want to take care of his dad and even though his dad would try to take care of him back it wouldn’t be the same.

“I will. I promise.”

“Thank you, Dr. McHale.”

Derek let himself grin a bit at that. “I’m not a doctor.”

“Not a doctor _yet_ , Derek.”

Derek went straight to work after he left the hospital. He vaguely listened as Laura talked for what felt like his entire shift. He got off at five and instead of going home he went to a bar outside of town where he knew they didn’t card. He didn’t turn 21 until next November, but he looked old enough to slide for mid-twenties.

An hour later he was kissing some guy’s neck as the guy opened his apartment door. It was almost six o’clock and he promised his mom that he would be home by seven since she was working the night shift. This wasn’t going to take long and besides, he _needed_ this. It had been way too long since he had sought an escape in someone else and this guy was clearly willing to give him that.

Once they reached the cramped bedroom, almost all of their clothes were missing. Derek pushed him down on to the bed before crawling on top of him, pressing his mouth urgently against his. It was all impersonal, there weren’t any noises being made except for heavy breathing and the occasional involuntary groan. Derek found himself on his back sometime as the guy pulled his boxers down and wrapped his mouth around him. It was experienced and precise and did exactly what Derek needed it to do. In his mind everything felt clinical and procedural, but his body was reacting perfectly and that was all he needed.

Derek woke up to his cell phone vibrating on the hardwood floor next to the bed. He glanced at his watch and groaned. It was eight o’clock.

He took the phone from the floor and checked it. Five missed calls, all within the last ten minutes, and all from Sheriff Stilinski. Derek felt his stomach drop as he got out of the bed, yanking his boxers on and turning the lamp on to look for the rest of his jeans.

“What’s going on?” Brandon? Brian? Brad? said from the bed, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

“I have to go,” Derek said, grabbing the rest of his clothes and quickly pulling them on.

“C’mon, baby, stay a while,” Brandon/Brian/Brad said, patting the bed.

“No fucking way.”

And with that Derek was exiting the apartment and calling the Sheriff back as he made his way down the stairwell and to his car that he had haphazardly parked.

“Derek, I’m glad you called me back,” the Sheriff said when he answered the phone on the second ring.

“Yeah, I’m sorry you had to call so many times, I… um, fell asleep,” Derek said.

The Sheriff had probably called the house phone and Scott had probably answered by saying he was out. Stilinski knew exactly where he fell asleep, but thankfully he didn’t say anything about it.

“Look, I know Melissa’s working the night shift and I hate to ask, but the doctor said that she probably won’t make it much longer and Stiles is at home, so if you could drive him over, I’d really-.”

“Why isn’t Stiles there?”

“Aria insisted that I took him home so that he could sleep in his own bed for once,” the Sheriff said. “He should be asleep still, but there’s a spare key under the doormat.”

“Yeah, I can do that,” Derek said.

“Thanks, Derek.”

The drive to the Stilinski house was long and quiet. It felt like he was driving toward doom. There was nothing they could do now except wait. He pulled into the driveway next to the Jeep and headed to the front porch. Derek got the spare key and entered the house, taking a moment to feel the change of air. Aria wasn’t there to greet him with a smile. She wasn’t there and that made the place seem so empty.

But Stiles was there and he had to get him. He bounded up the stairs and entered the first door on the left. Stiles’ was fast asleep, curled up in his bed with the lamp on his nightstand on. There was a picture frame on his nightstand with a photo of Stiles, Aria, and the Sheriff in it. Stiles’ hair was still long and Aria looked healthy and Sheriff Stilinski was still just a deputy.

“Stiles,” Derek said, sitting on the edge of the bed and placing a hand on his shoulder.

He was already awake. “I heard you come in.”

“I thought you were supposed to be a heavy sleeper.”

“I used to be.”

Stiles sat up and pushed back the covers and Derek noticed that he was already dressed. That hurt a lot more than it probably should have.

“We should go,” Derek said. “Your dad sounded pretty urgent on the phone.”

Derek stood up and waited for Stiles to do the same, but he didn’t. He continued to sit in the bed, his hands fisting the covers.

“Stiles, we really need to-.”

“I don’t want her to die.”

He wasn’t crying and Derek probably figured that he had cried so much already that he just couldn’t anymore.

“I know.”

“It’s not fair.”

“I know.”

“Why couldn’t God have given her cancer to a murderer or someone terrible?”

“I don’t believe in God.”

Stiles looked up at him, frowning. “Then what do you believe in?”

 _You_.

“I don’t believe in anything.”

Apparently this was a good enough answer for Stiles. He got out of bed, slipped on his shoes, and followed Derek downstairs.

The drive to the hospital was even worse. Stiles’ was in the seat next to him, his leg jumping up and down. Derek was tempted to slap a hand on his knee to still him, but he refrained. They didn’t talk and they didn’t look at each other. For some reason this made the drive even longer.

When Derek parked he expected Stiles to wait in the car, still hesitant to go inside. But as soon as Derek turned off the ignition Stiles was throwing the car door open and practically sprinting to the entrance. Derek had to almost run to keep up with him and when he made it to the elevators, Stiles was already inside with the doors closing.

Derek jammed the up button and waited for the next elevator to come. He was on the right floor in less than a minute, but when he got to her room there were half a dozen nurses and doctors there. He heard someone call the time of death. It had been three minutes ago.

The funeral was three days later. Melissa stood by the Sheriff’s side at all times while Scott stood close to Stiles. Derek stayed toward the back and was the first one to leave.


	2. Chapter 2

Derek got into the architectural program thanks to a letter of recommendation written by Aria Stilinski. When his advisor told him he was completely disbelieving, but his advisor made him a copy of the letter for him to take with him. It was stuffed into a random folder and forgotten about.

He still drove Scott to and from school every day, but Stiles was taking the bus now. He came over sometimes, but he never talked to Derek. Well, Derek avoided him at all costs. Stiles probably knew that if Derek hadn’t fallen asleep like an idiot then he would have gotten Stiles there in time to say his goodbyes. It was his fault that Stiles hadn’t seen his mother one last time and he just couldn’t face Stiles like that.

On the anniversary of her death Stiles spent the night at their house. Derek was heading to bed since he was opening the art store in the morning when he passed Scott’s room. He looked inside to see Scott hugging Stiles who was crying into his shoulder. Scott met his eyes and gave him a look identical to a terrified puppy. Derek shook his head and quickly walked down the hall to his own room.

Scott and Stiles went to Beacon Hills High and by some miracle got on the lacrosse team. This didn’t end up being much of a miracle though seeing as almost every boy at the school was on the lacrosse team and they were just benchwarmers.

The October of their sophomore year and Derek’s senior year, Derek bought a black Camaro with birthday and Christmas money and years of working at the art store. He moved out and got an apartment with Laura only ten minutes away. Scott was left with the Accord (which he happily accepted) and Stiles started to drive the Jeep even though he couldn’t get his license until April. It was probably one of the perks of being the Sheriff’s son.

The Sheriff’s son who got into more trouble than any other kid in town (along with Scott, of course). Whenever there was a body missing in the woods or talk of a drug deal going down somewhere, Scott and Stiles always managed to make it there before the police. There was actually a small column in the local newspaper entitled “The Rascals of Beacon Hills”. It didn’t mention them by name, but everyone knew it was them.

And Derek was happy for Stiles. He was happy that the boy could smile again and be goofy and get in trouble. Whenever he was visiting home at the same time Stiles was there working on a school project or playing video games with Scott, Derek wondered if he could get away with sitting on the couch next to him and asking him what he thought of Matt Smith as the Doctor (Derek liked him better than Tennant and he knew that would get a rise out of Stiles) or of Ianto’s death (some crying might happen on Stiles’ part).

He refrained from doing those things though. Because he missed Stiles more than he thought he ever would. Stiles probably still blamed him for what he had done years ago. Derek wasn’t sure that he still blamed him, but he knew that if he was in Stiles’ position that he would blame him.

Laura was the voice of attempted reason. She kept calling Derek an idiot and saying that he shouldn’t blame himself for one stupid mistake. She said that he was blaming himself a lot more than Stiles was probably blaming him.

Of course she was right, but the entire thing still didn’t sit right with Derek. He felt ridden with guilt every time he was even near the Stilinski house. Nothing he did made anything better, so he continued to avoid Stiles which was probably just making everything worse.

Derek became much more closed in. He no longer went around having sex with people he rarely knew and he had six main places that he went: the apartment, home, school, the art store, the bar he had recently gotten a job at, and the grocery store. Laura would manage to drag him to the movies some nights, but mostly he picked up extra shifts and did his homework. He had never been a social person, but this was probably hitting a new low.

When he had told Laura that he liked staying at home she had all but dragged him to her car so that she could take him out to a restaurant. They got mistaken for a couple twice and as siblings three times, nothing unusual.

Laura and his mother then seemed to devise some kind of evil plan to get him out of the apartment more. Melissa declared that Friday night dinners at the McHale residence were now law. Laura bought him a gym membership for his 22nd birthday. (“You need to keep that six pack! That’s how we draw in all of our customers at the art store!”) Even Scott had dropped by the art store while he was working to see if he wanted to hang out.

His social life basically contained of his mother, his little brother, and his best friend who was practically his older sister (and whatever boyfriend she had that week). Even Derek could realize that it was pretty pathetic, but it was nice and he had a lot more free time to work on his school work. He was graduating in the spring, applying to architecture firms in the summer, and starting on his Doctorate in the fall.

He had his career on track and that was all he needed to focus on. There weren’t any distractions of going on “dates” or hanging out with people more than he was forced to. He was somewhere between lonely and connected.

And he was fine with that.

But sometimes whenever he saw a Jeep or a kid with a buzz cut or the police station or an art museum, Derek would feel this dull ache in his stomach that just refused to go away.

**OoOoOoO**

It was the first Friday in January and Derek had just started his last semester of school. He arrived back at the apartment after a shift at the art store to see Laura pulling a pan of brownies out of the oven. Derek then quickly exited the apartment to check the apartment number.

“Ha ha, very funny,” Laura said as he reentered the apartment, making his way toward her.

“Sorry, but I think I just saw you baking,” Derek said, looking at the brownies that actually didn’t look like complete disasters.

“I can bake,” she said, placing her hands on her hips (which didn’t look that intimidating since she still had oven mitts on). “I’ve just never baked for you before.”

“What’s the occasion?”

“I’m going to go to Friday night dinner with you tonight,” she shrugged. “And I’m bringing my Secret Recipe Laura Brownies.”

“You just made that up, didn’t you?”

“Shut up.”

She was pouting. Derek hated it when she pouted. He always had to apologize when she pouted. Sighing, Derek wrapped an arm around her shoulders and looked at the brownies on the counter. “They look great, Laura.”

“Thank you.”

“So, do I get to know what the secret recipe is?”

“Uh, no. They’re secret for a reason, Derek.”

“You just added a shit ton of chocolate chips to store bought brownie mix, didn’t you?”

“Go fuck yourself.”

Without another comment, Laura made her way out of the kitchen, oven mitt-cladded hands still on her hips. Yeah, he would definitely have to apologize. Derek left the kitchen to go to his own room to change into different clothes. There had been an enthusiastic toddler in the store today who had wanted to play with his paint set at the register. Most of it had gotten on Derek’s store apron, but some had splatted on his shirt.

After changing, Derek went back into the living area to see Laura putting aluminum foil on the brownies while wearing a dress. A dress. To his family’s house. Well, this was getting weird.

“You do realize that it’s just going to be my mom and Scott, right?” he asked, leaning against the counter.

“Yeah,” she said, pressing down on the foil along the edges of the pan.

“Laura, they’re going to think that we’re announcing that we’re getting married or something.”

“Don’t be so dramatic, Derek,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “I haven’t had an excuse to wear this dress yet, so I put it on.”

“Right,” he said, slowly nodding his head.

“Besides, if you were the last man on Earth I would become a lesbian so I wouldn’t have to marry you.”

“Wow, Laura, say what you really feel.”

“I always do,” she said, going to the door to get her coat and scarf from the peg on the wall. “Get the brownies, but when we get to your house I’m carrying them inside. I don’t want you stealing all of the credit.”

Then she flipped back her scarf over her shoulder and headed out into the hallway of their apartment building. Derek followed after he had slipped on his leather jacket and grabbed the brownie pan.

The drive to the McHale house only took about ten minutes, so they were able to arrive right at 6:30. Derek parked out on the street since Melissa and Scott’s cars were already in the driveway. Laura was the first to exit as she took the brownie pan in her hands and headed up the driveway to the house. Derek cut across the front lawn, beating her to the front door.

“You cheated,” she said. “Everyone knows you’re not supposed to cut across the grass.”

Derek was about to reply with an equally lame comeback when the front door opened. Scott was there and so was… Stiles. For some reason Derek felt like he had been punched in the gut. After years of being able to avoid him he was now faced with him once again. To make matters worse, Stiles was staring right at him which made Derek stare at him right back and, well he knew that it had been a while, but when the hell did he grow up? He was probably just an inch shorter than Derek, making that he had finally grown into his lanky body and _why the hell was he thinking about this_?

Apparently they had been looking at each other for a while since Scott started coughing. Laura’s eyes went from Derek to Stiles and back again before she held up the brownie pan.

“I made brownies!” she exclaimed, walking into the house.

“Awesome!” Scott exclaimed right back, taking the pan from her. “I’m just going to go put these in the kitchen.”

“Great idea, Scott,” Laura said, yanking her scarf and coat off in record time before following him.

“Wow, Laura, your dress looks really nice,” Scott said, his voice traveling from the kitchen.

“Thanks, Scott, you’re looking very grown-up and handsome,” Laura said.

“And then there were two,” Stiles said, shoving his hands back into his pockets and slowly looking at Derek.

“Yeah,” Derek said.

The silence that followed was probably the most awkward that Derek had ever been exposed to. They were just standing there in front of the door, not looking at each other. And whenever they tried to look at each other their eyes would meet and they would both quickly look away.

Derek just wished that they could just go back. He wished that they could just talk about things like they used to. But they couldn’t anymore. Things were awkward and uncomfortable and Derek didn’t feel like he had the right to talk to him. Stiles would talk to him when he was ready to talk and if he never wanted to talk, then that was that. Sadly there was nothing Derek could do about that.

“Derek, I never-.”

“There is lasagna in here and we’re going to eat all of it without you!” Laura said, walking into the hallway from the kitchen and then motioning toward them with her arms. “So get your asses in here!”

“We’re coming,” Derek said.

Dinner was awkward at first since no one knew where anyone was sitting. Derek ended up sitting between Laura and his mother, but across from Stiles. He couldn’t look up without seeing Stiles, so he always had to quickly turn away. Melissa was asking questions about school and work, but eventually the small talk topics started to run out.

Thankfully (or not so thankfully, depending on how you looked at it), Laura decided to start her own topic.

“I just can’t believe how much you two have grown,” she said, gesturing toward Scott and Stiles. “And you’re both so handsome too.”

Scott and Stiles snorted in unison, suddenly finding their dinners extremely interesting.

“I’m serious,” Laura said. “You two are both very good-looking. I bet all of the girls at school have crushes.”

“You’re starting to sound like my mom, Laura,” Scott said. “No girls like us.”

“Okay, well, do you two like any girls?”

“Obviously my 10 year plan to win Lydia Martin’s heart is still in the works,” Stiles said.

Derek chose to ignore the feeling of his stomach tightening.

“But, Scott here has his eyes on a special lady.”

“Who is it? Do I know her?” Melissa asked, suddenly deciding to jump into the conversation.

“She’s a new girl, just started this semester,” Stiles said, speaking for Scott who was currently staring at his best friend with a look of utmost betrayal. “Her name’s Allison Argent.”

Derek knew that Laura was looking at him without even having to glance her way. Something cold ran through him and he tried desperately to keep a straight face. “Argent” wasn’t exactly an uncommon name, but even the thought of this Allison being related to _her_ didn’t sit right with him.

“So, what’s she like?” Laura asked.

“Great,” Scott said, sighing dreamily. “She always smells nice and she’s smart and funny and nice and beautiful and considerate and wonderful and-.”

“So you’ve talked to her?” Melissa asked.

“What? No!” Scott said. “Mom, I can’t just _talk_ to her. Besides, Lydia has decided to make Allison her new best friend-.”

“-Which is going to make double dates great!” Stiles interrupted, slinging an arm around Scott’s shoulders. “Y’know if you ever talk to her.”

“Like you’re the one to talk!” Scott said, shouldering Stiles’ arm off of him. “Lydia doesn’t even know that you exist and you’ve liked her since the third grade.”

Stiles looked like he was about to respond to that, but apparently for once in his life he couldn’t think of anything to say. Melissa took this brief moment of silence to stand up, collecting everyone’s plates while she was at it.

“I can help you with that, Melissa,” Laura said, starting to stand up.

“No, Laura you’re our guest, besides you already made brownies,” Melissa said, waving a dismissive hand at Laura. “I’m just going to put these in the sink and then the boys are going to clean up. This conversation just got a little too high school for me anyway.”

Melissa put the plates in the sink, turned around, pointed at Derek, Scott, and Stiles, and then to the dishes.

“I believe I’m a guest too,” Stiles said.

“Stiles, you practically live here,” Melissa said. “You get to help with dishes too.”

And with that final remark, Melissa made her way out of the kitchen and to the living room. Scott slumped against his seat and sighed. Derek assumed he was just being a brat about doing the dishes, but then he started going on another tangent about Allison.

“Okay, so have you talked to this girl at all?” Laura asked, saving them all from Scott waxing poetic about Allison’s eyelashes.

“Well,” Scott started, grinning like he was pleased with himself. “On her first day of class she asked me for a pen and I let her borrow mine.”

Derek waited for him to continue when he realized that that was the entirety of his story.

“That’s it?” Laura asked. “That’s all that happened?”

“Yeah,” Scott said, apparently incapable of wiping the dopey smile from his face.

“I blame Derek,” she said.

“What?” Derek asked. “What did I do?”

“Derek, you’re his older brother and your relationship history is the saddest I’ve seen,” she said. “Like ever. I mean really, what is wrong with you?”

“I’ve had relationships.”

“You’ve had one relationship that ended horribly and then you decided to just sleep with anything that was dangled in front of you and now you don’t talk to anyone,” she said. “Sometimes when I think of how emotionally constipated you are I bring myself to tears.”

Derek barely had to time to take all of that in when he realized that everyone was looking at him. Even his mother had poked her head back in the kitchen to see what was going on. All Derek could focus on was the strange feel of betrayal. Laura had always been on his side, even when he had made the stupidest of mistakes. She had always stood by him no matter what and now she was practically spilling out everything she had ever kept in.

Her face now was a look of regret as she reached across the table to place a hand on his. “Derek, I’m sorry. That was-.”

“It’s fine,” he said, standing up and making his way toward the sink. “Don’t worry about the dishes, you guys. I can do them.”

“Are you sure?” Scott asked.

“Yeah.”

There were some shuffling of chairs and Derek didn’t even have to look to see that they had left the room. He was turning on the water and waited for it to get hot when a hand clamped down on his shoulder.

“Laura, don’t worry-.”

“I’m kind of insulted that you think I could pass for Laura. Or maybe flattered, I’m not sure.”

And of course it was Stiles. Who else could it have possibly been? Stiles took a spot next to Derek at the sink and started to rinse off silverware before putting them in the dishwasher.

“If it makes you feel better, and I don’t know how it could make you feel better, but, uh…” Stiles trailed off, scratching the back of his neck.

“What?”

“I’ve never even kissed anyone before, so at least you _have_ a relationship history.”

“I’d rather have no relationship history than the one I have,” Derek said, handing Stiles rinsed off plates to put in the dishwasher. “Are you interested in trading?”

“I don’t think it works that way.”

Derek grinned, handing Stiles the last plate before looking at the lasagna pan that had cheese and sauce stuck to its sides. Stiles squirted soap into the pan and filled it with hot water.

“I think Scott can handle that one,” he said.

“Good idea.”

It was at that moment that Laura entered the kitchen, smiling at them before taking a knife from the knife rack and peeling back the foil on the brownie pan. “You guys want one?”

“Should I be scared?” Stiles asked, eyeing the brownies skeptically.

Laura’s response was to smack the back of his head. “No. They’re really good, right Derek?”

“I’ve never eaten your brownies, Laura.”

Another smack to the back of the head. “You’re supposed to say: ‘Yeah, Laura makes the best brownies ever. She’s a brownie genius.’”

They all ate Laura’s brownies (that were actually pretty good) and after a five minute back and forth argument between her and Melissa (“Keep the brownies here, Derek can take the pan back next time he visits.” “No, I can’t take all of these.” “Melissa, it’s fine. I don’t need to eat them.” “Neither do I!”), Derek and Laura headed to the Camaro, the brownie pan tucked under Laura’s arm.

“We don’t need these either,” Laura said, looking at the brownies as Derek pulled out of the driveway and headed toward their apartment.

“Did you know he was going to be there?”

He kept his eyes on the road, but he knew that she was looking at him. Derek didn’t need to elaborate; he knew that Laura understood exactly what he was talking about.

“Yes,” she confessed. “I called Scott and told him to invite Stiles and to tell him that you weren’t going to be there.”

“You set this up behind my back?”

“It’s not like we plotted your demise or anything,” she said. “It’s just that… I _know_ how you feel about him, Derek and I-.”

“-You ‘know how I feel about him’?” Derek repeated. “What the hell does that even mean?”

“It means that I know how much you care about him,” she said. “Scott and I both know that you two are too stubborn to come out and actually talk to each other. So, we took matters into our own hands. _You’re welcome_. Besides, I thought it went pretty well. You guys talked, didn’t you? He didn’t look angry or like he was blaming you for something that happened almost three years ago, something that wasn’t even your fau-.”

“Laura, can you please just stop?”

His hands tightened on the steering wheel as he continued to look straight ahead, forcefully ignoring every look Laura was giving him. Things might have been okay on the surface with Stiles, but he knew that he had to talk about it with him. They wouldn’t be completely okay with each other until they actually discussed everything. A surprise dinner with three other people wasn’t going to just magically fix things.

“Yeah, okay,” Laura said quietly, patting him on the knee. “And I am sorry about what I said about the ‘emotional constipation’. I mean, it’s true, but I shouldn’t have said it.”

“Gee, thanks, Laura.”

**OoOoOoO**

The dinner had been three days ago and Derek hadn’t talked to Scott, his mother, or (thankfully) Stiles. Laura was impossible to ignore since they lived together, but she had been walking on eggshells around him for a while. She was treating him like he was a bomb just waiting to go off. Maybe it had to do with Stiles, but it might have had to do with his boss forcing him to do inventory at seven in the morning at the art store.

He considered himself a morning person, but that was only when he woke up early to do things that he liked. For example, enjoy the quiet before Laura woke up, make breakfast for one and have a smug smile when Laura complained, watch the new _Doctor Who_ episode without being laughed at by Laura, do homework, go for a run, work on his portfolio, and contemplate the fucking meaning of life if he had to. But getting up in the morning to do work that the new kid they had hired should have done the night before was not his idea of being content in the mornings.

They said that you should never drive angry or frustrated. Maybe he could call in and say that he was in no state to drive. That probably would have gotten him fired. Besides, he was already on the road and wide awake.

Completely wide awake to notice Stiles standing at a stop sign with his hands shoved in his pockets. He looked like he was waiting for the bus and Derek briefly wondered what happened to the Jeep when he remembered something Stiles had said on Friday.

(“Yeah, my Jeep has a broken… thing. Like a carburetor or something. They said it would be fixed on Wednesday.”

“I can drive you to school tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Scott, but my dad’s giving me a ride.”)

Apparently he had been lying or something came up and his dad hadn’t been able to give him a ride.

Derek then realized that he was about to stop at the stop sign that Stiles was currently standing at. Stiles knew that it was him and the normal thing would be to ask Stiles if he wanted a ride. If he ignored him he would feel like a complete asshole (even though he felt like that more often than not), but if he asked Stiles might say yes and then the car ride would be awkward. And he would be late to work. No he wouldn’t, he had left early. Dammit.

He stopped at the stop sign and rolled down the passenger side window, silently cursing himself.

“I thought your dad was giving you a ride,” he said.

“Something came up,” Stiles shrugged. “I’m waiting for the bus.”

“Do you want a ride?”

Stiles grinned at him and for some reason that made his heart speed up. He didn’t know why that was. Maybe he should get that looked at.

“Are you sure?”

“Of course,” Derek said, leaning over and opening the passenger door. “Get in before I change my mind.”

Stiles opened the door up the rest of the way and slipped inside, tossing his backpack into the backseat. Derek waited for him to close the door and buckle his seatbelt before he continued driving.

“So, Matt Smith,” Stiles said. “Your thoughts?”

“Better than Tennant.”

“Pull this car over right now, I am ashamed to be seen with you.”

Derek grinned, shaking his head. How did he know that Stiles would argue with him on that? Probably because Stiles had said “Man, Ten is the best” after every episode they had used to watch together.

“I just like him better,” Derek shrugged. “He’s more serious. He seems older.”

“He acts like a nine year-old,” Stiles argued. “Well, not all the time, but most of the time. The Jammie Dodger against those Daleks, really?”

“That was genius,” Derek said.

“Yeah, whatever,” Stiles scoffed. “Amy was the one who really saved the day in that episode though.”

“Do you have a crush on Amy?”

“Of course! She’s the best companion ever. I love her Scottish feisty ginger-ness.”

He figured. Stiles had always had a crush on every companion, even though he had said that Rose was his permanent favorite.

“I think Rory is my favorite,” Derek shrugged. “He waited 2000 years for the person that he loved. That makes him older than the Doctor.”

“What? No it doesn’t…” Stiles said. “Wait. Holy shit, it does! I take everything back, Rory’s the best!”

God, this was easy. Why did everything feel so easy around Stiles but difficult at the same time? Sometimes he felt like he was going out of his mind whenever he was around. Other times he felt more at ease than he ever had. They hadn’t talked to each other in three years, but here they were now, falling into the same simple routine.

“What about Ianto’s death?” Stiles said. “Isn’t Russell T. Davies a sadist?”

“That fucking sucked.”

“I know, right?” Stiles said. “I hate to admit it, but there were some tears. Manly tears, mind you, and oh, we’re at school.”

They were at the school. Derek had pulled into the drop off lane where parents dropped off their kids. They didn’t let them get out of the car until they were right in front of the door though, so they probably had a few more minutes to talk.

“We’ve got some time,” Derek said.

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded. “So, uh, what were you doing before you picked me up at the bus stop?”

“Heading to work,” Derek shrugged. “I don’t have to be there for another ten minutes, so I had time to kill.”

“I didn’t know that the store opened this early.”

“It doesn’t. We hired some new kid and he forgot to do inventory last night, so I have to go in early.”

“That sucks.”

“Yeah.”

And then cue the awkward silence. They both knew that there was one thing they were avoiding talking about. Derek always assumed that it was equally difficult for them to even think about, let alone talk about (probably more so for Stiles than him). He always thought that Stiles would shy away from it the moment it was even mentioned.

He was wrong though. Of course he was wrong. Because this was Stiles who (sometimes stupidly) wasn’t afraid of anything. He didn’t have a filter and he could take things better than anyone else Derek knew.

So, when Derek pulled up to the school entrance and Stiles got his backpack from the backseat and opened the car door, he looked Derek right in the eyes.

“I never blamed you,” he said. “Neither does my dad. No one blames you for it. You got me there in the end and that’s all that matters.”

Before Derek could even think of anything to say back, Stiles got out of the car, thanked him for the ride, and closed the door. As if someone had put him on automatic, Derek pulled out of the school parking lot and headed back on to the main road to the art store.

He was about 30 seconds from the store when it all sank in.

Stiles didn’t blame him. Derek still blamed himself (he had accepted that a long time ago though), but Stiles didn’t blame him. He didn’t hate him. He hadn’t even forgiven him, because to Stiles there was nothing to forgive him for. A weight that he knew all too well suddenly felt lighter. It was still there, but it was lighter. Things were going to get better; of course things would get better.

**OoOoOoO**

And for once in his life things actually did get better. This was weird for him because things usually went from good to fucking awful in a matter of a day. But after a short meeting with his advisor he knew that he was right on track for graduation. He got his first raise at the art store (after working there for 6 years) and his job at the bar was bringing in more tips than usual. Laura’s boyfriend of the week was actually lasting longer than a week and was a pretty decent guy. He had even gone to a few lacrosse games with his mom and Laura. Granted, Scott and Stiles both didn’t get to play, but it was still something he hadn’t done in a while. The last lacrosse game he had gone to was during his senior year of high school when Scott had begged him to take him to a game.

Things seemed to be looking up for Scott as well. He was still terrible at lacrosse (this surprisingly had more to do with his lack of coordination rather than his asthma), but he had mustered up the courage to finally ask Allison Argent on a date. And for some reason that was completely beyond Derek, she had said yes.

“I can’t do this,” Scott said, pacing back and forth in his bedroom like he had been for the past five minutes.

Derek had told Laura that Scott had his first date that night and of course she had dragged Derek over to the house to help Scott get ready. Stiles had been there already when they got there, lounging on Scott’s bed and trying his best to be a support system.

“Yes you can,” Laura said, who was currently lounging next to Stiles. “Just be yourself.”

“But what if she hates me?”

“Dude, she said yes because you’re you,” Stiles said. “I don’t think she hates you. Especially since when you asked her you looked like you were about to throw up all over her shoes.”

“Oh, no,” Laura said, sitting up. “It’s not a pity date, is it?”

“A pity date?” Scott asked, his voice turning into some kind of screech.

Hyperventilating then ensued and Derek handed him his inhaler, patting him on the back as he took deep breaths from it. Stiles had sat up on the bed, looking concernedly at Scott. “You okay, man?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Scott said, nodding his head frantically. “But is it a pity date? Can it be a pity date? Oh God, it’s a pity date, isn’t it?”

“No,” Stiles said, slapping Scott on the arm. “When you asked her she kept nodding along as you practically stumbled on every word. It was like she was encouraging you to ask her, like she had been waiting for you to ask her.”

That sounded a bit performed. Derek knew that Scott wasn’t the most popular guy in school and he knew that Lydia Martin was the most popular girl in school (there had been several Friday night dinners with Stiles going on and on about the social ladder at Beacon Hills High). Allison was apparently Lydia’s best friend, so it was highly unlikely that she wanted to date Scott.

Scott seemed to be motivated by Stiles’ speech, so Derek kept the thoughts to himself. What was the harm in letting Scott enjoy his first official date? Especially since it would probably end in heartbreak.

“So, when are you leaving to pick her up?” Laura asked.

“She’s picking me up,” Scott said, looking at his watch. “Like right now. She’s coming right now. She should be here right now!”

The doorbell rang. Scott shrieked. Derek, Laura, and Stiles bolted out of the room to answer the door.

Laura was the first person to get there and she wrenched the door open. Standing there was a girl who looked almost as nervous as Scott with long, wavy dark hair and pale skin. Yeah, she was way too pretty for Scott.

“Um, hi,” she said. “Is Scott here?”

Okay, Derek took everything back. She looked earnest and nervous, folding her hands in front of her and smiling at the three of them. Maybe she really did want to go out with Scott. Maybe this wasn’t just pity.

“Yeah, he’s upstairs,” Laura said, moving out of the way and gesturing for Allison to come in. “I’m Laura, Scott’s older sister.”

“No you’re not,” Derek said, closing the door when Allison got inside.

“I might as well be,” she shrugged. “That’s Derek, Scott’s brother. I’m assuming you know Stiles.”

“We have English and Chemistry together,” Allison said, smiling at Stiles.

Stiles’ face lit up completely at that. Derek tried desperately to get his heart to calm down. What was wrong with him?

“It’s nice to meet all of you,” Allison said and then she froze, looking quickly back at Derek. “Wait, Derek McHale?”

“That’s me.”

Allison’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open. Derek perked an eyebrow at her and was about to ask her what was wrong when she grabbed his arm and steered him away from Laura and Stiles. She had a strong grip and managed to drag him a bit when she caught him off guard. Yeah, she was too good for Scott.

Once they were in the living room and Allison realized that Stiles and Laura hadn’t followed them, she looked him in the eye and flinched. It wasn’t a small flinch either, it was visible and nervous.

“Can I help you?” he asked.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“For what?”

“My aunt is Kate Argent.”

Of course she was. Ever since he had learned Allison’s last name he had been hoping that there was no relation there. It was just his luck to have the girl his brother was crazy about be the niece of the woman who had fucked him up.

“She told me about you,” she continued. “Not about what she did. I heard my dad lecturing her about it. It wasn’t right. She thought that you were related to the Hale family and wanted to steal money from you, but then she found out that you weren’t and she then just wanted to…”

“Fuck me over?” Derek asked.

“Yeah,” Allison said.

She kept eye contact throughout the entire explanation. Derek could respect that.

“I used to really love my aunt and look up to her,” Allison continued. “She was like my sister rather than my dad’s. But after I heard what she did to you, I just… I don’t want to be around her anymore. I think she’s in France now or something. She had a boyfriend and-.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

Allison pressed her lips together, thinking of what to say. Her eyes were still looking right into Derek’s. She was strong-willed, definitely not the sweet girl he had pegged her for when that door had opened.

“Because I think you should know.”

He couldn’t argue with that.

And he didn’t have the time to argue even if he wanted to. Scott was coming into the living room, closely followed by Stiles and Laura.

“So, what are you guys talking about?” Scott asked.

“Just how her Aunt Kate is doing,” Derek said, putting on his best smile for Allison. “Thanks for the update.”

“Oh, sure,” Allison said, smiling right back.

Derek glanced over to Laura and gave her a look that hopefully said that he would explain things later. She nodded so he assumed that she understood.

“Uh, well we should be going,” Scott said, inching toward Allison. “The movie starts soon.”

The five of them awkwardly moved back to the front door together. Scott ushered Allison out of the door before he turned around to glare at them. “You guys suck.”

“Oh please, you love us,” Laura said, waving her hand at them.

Scott looked like he was about to argue before he thought about it some more and smiled dopily at them. “Yeah, I do.”

He stepped onto the front porch and Derek was just about to close the door when he turned around again.

“I’m going on a date with Allison!”

“Congratulations, now don’t leave her waiting,” Stiles said, making shooing motions at him.

Scott nodded enthusiastically before heading toward Allison’s car. He was just about to get in the passenger’s side when Laura stepped onto the porch to yell something at him. “What movie are you guys seeing?”

“ _The Adjustment Bureau_!” Scott yelled back.

“And what time does it start?”

“7:30!”

“Have fun!”

“Thanks!”

Once Scott and Allison were driving down the road, Laura walked back inside the house and grinned at Derek and Stiles. “Do you two handsome boys want to escort a lovely lady to a movie?”

“What movie?” Derek asked, not even trying to hide the smirk on his face.

“Oh, it just came out last week,” she said, tapping her finger to her chin. “It’s the one with Matt Damon and Emily Blunt in it.”

“ _The Adjustment Bureau_?” Stiles asked. “Y’know, I’ve been wanting to see that.”

“Well, then I think the three of us should go,” Laura said. “I can stare at Matt Damon, Stiles can stare at Emily Blunt, and Derek can stare at both.”

Derek rolled his eyes. Laura was seriously suggesting that they ruin his little brother’s first date. She kept giving him more reasons to love her.

“I’m just going to get my coat from Scott’s room,” Laura said, heading toward the stairs. “I’ll meet you two in the car.”

Stiles and Derek left the house and went to the Camaro that was parked on the street. Derek slid into the driver’s side while Stiles sat next to him in the passenger’s seat.

“So, uh, you’re still into guys?” Stiles asked.

“Yeah, it’s not really something that just goes away.”

“Oh, right- no, yeah- sorry!” Stiles said, holding up his hands. “That was a really shitty thing to say. Of course it’s not something… God, I feel like such an ass now.”

“Stiles, it’s fine,” Derek said, amused more than anything. “My mom asked me the same thing a few days ago.”

“I still feel kind of stupid for asking,” Stiles said, ducking his head sheepishly.

“Don’t worry about it.”

Laura was then at the window of the passenger’s side. Stiles moved to the backseat and Laura got into the front, closing the door behind her.

“All right, boys, let’s get this show on the road!”

**OoOoOoO**

“Tonight’s the night,” Stiles said. “Are you ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Derek said.

“Wow, way to be enthusiastic.”

“I am enthusiastic.”

“You don’t _sound_ enthusiastic.”

“Well, I am.”

“Yeah, but you don’t-.”

“Shut up!” Laura said, coming into the living area and throwing a dish towel in their general direction. “You two sound like an old married couple. It’s just a British sci-fi show.”

“Laura it is not just a British sci-fi show,” Stiles said, turning around on the couch to face her.

Laura looked like she was about to argue, but she shook her head and headed back to the kitchen (which was in the same room, just in a different section). It was the season 6 premiere of _Doctor Who_ and Stiles was over to watch it in Derek and Laura’s apartment. Laura was leaving soon to go on a date with her new boyfriend. She wouldn’t be back until tomorrow afternoon, so Stiles was going to sleep in her room.

It was weird watching the show with someone else again. Derek had become so accustomed with recording it Saturday night and waking up early to watch it in peace Sunday morning. But now it was premiere night and the show started in an hour. There was a marathon on BBC America and the Christmas Special from last year was about to start.

“Okay, I’ll be back tomorrow,” Laura said, coming back toward them with an overnight bag slung over her shoulder. “Do _not_ look through my stuff, Stiles. I’m letting you sleep in my bed, that’s it. Don’t look through my dresser, do not steal my underwear, and do not look through my shoebox of letters from boys wanting me back-.”

“You have a shoebox of letters from guys wanting you back?”

“Yes, most of them are tearstained,” Laura said. “Oh, and don’t jerk off in my bed. I’ll know.”

She then gave a meaningful glare to Stiles before kissing them both on the top of the head and leaving the apartment. “Have fun, boys!”

“So, who’s her new boyfriend?” Stiles asked.

“No idea,” Derek shrugged. “She won’t tell me anything. I just know that he’s older with a lot of money. He’s lasted longer than the others and she seems to really like him. That’s enough for me.”

“Maybe the others never lasted because they met you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well you’re a guy who she lives with and you’re not related,” Stiles said. “They’re probably jealous.”

“We act like siblings,” Derek said. “It would cause me physical pain to act like anything but a brother to Laura. My mom thinks she’s the daughter she never had. Laura’s family.”

“Yeah, I get that,” Stiles nodded. “But other guys don’t. Y’know, they find out that she’s living with a guy who looks like you look and you two aren’t related and you two are always in sync with each other.”

“Okay, I get it.”

“I’m just saying that she might really like this new guy,” Stiles said. “And she doesn’t want you to meet him just yet because she doesn’t want him to make assumptions.”

Stiles’ was right. Of course he was right, it made perfect sense. He had seen this in action way too many times. Whenever Derek was introduced as Laura’s best friend instead of her brother almost all of the guys were gone a few days later. He had thought about this being because of him so many times, but Laura was never too sad about any break ups. This was the first time she had actually been this serious about someone before, so he was going to do everything in his power to make sure this guy would leave only if Laura wanted him to.

“Yeah, I know,” Derek said, sinking into the couch and turning back to the TV screen. The Christmas Special was already showing, but Derek wasn’t really paying attention to it. “Do you want to get some food before the new episode starts?”

“Like go out or go to the kitchen?” Stiles asked.

“Go out,” Derek proposed.

“Sure,” Stiles said, shrugging. “There’s that new pizza place and their cheese-stuffed crust is supposed to be awesome.”

Derek nodded in agreement, turning off the TV and standing up. He grabbed his jacket and keys before heading to the door to the apartment, Stiles right behind him.

There was more than one reason as to why Stiles was over at Derek’s. Scott and Allison had been dating for over a month and dating Allison had given Scott some new popularity. Scott was hanging out with Allison every second of every day. Since Allison was friends with all of the popular kids, Scott was friends with them too. Unfortunately Stiles hadn’t been able to find popularity as well. To make matters worse, Scott had managed to make first line of the lacrosse team as well.

So, Stiles had called Derek out of the blue a few days ago and had asked if he wanted to watch the season six premiere together. Derek had agreed and proposed that he came over to the apartment to watch it and he had said yes.

“Do you have any plans for the summer?” Derek asked when they were in the Camaro, heading toward the pizza place.

“Yeah, I’m gonna get a job,” Stiles said. “I put in an application at the bookstore and I have an interview on Monday. Scott and I talked about going to the beach as well, but I don’t know if he’s still up for that. He’ll probably want to take Allison and that’s cool because Allison is cool, but… I kind of miss my best friend.”

“I get what you mean,” Derek nodded. “I rarely see Laura anymore thanks to her new boyfriend. I’m happy that she’s happy, but I miss her.”

“What about you?” Stiles asked. “Any big plans except for selling people paint and alcohol?”

“Well, now that I have my degree I’m going to apply at the architecture firm in town,” Derek said. “Even though it’s a fucking terrible firm, it’ll look good on a resume. I still have to make it through grad school to get my Doctorate.”

“Doctorate, you’re still going for that?” Stiles asked, grinning at him.

“Yeah,” Derek shrugged. “What about you? Do you know what you want to major in?”

They arrived at the pizza place and Derek parked toward the front. Even though it was a Saturday night the place was deserted. Maybe it was because it was almost 8:30. They got out of the car and Derek looked at Stiles, waving a hand at him.

“What?”

“You didn’t answer my question,” Derek said, opening the door to the restaurant and walking inside.

They sat down at a booth and in the light of the restaurant, Derek saw that Stiles was blushing. This just made Derek want to know more.

“What?” Derek asked. “You don’t want to be a gynecologist, do you?”

“What? No, gross, Derek!” Stiles said, his face turning an even fiercer shade of red. “I want to… You’re going to think it’s stupid.”

“I promise you I won’t,” Derek assured.

Stiles looked like he was about to tell him when their waitress came over. They quickly looked over the menu and ordered one large Meat Lovers (half with pineapple at Stiles’ request) with cheese-stuffed crust to go. The waitress said that they would have to wait 15 minutes before it would be ready.

“So, how many years do you go to school for an Architectural Doctorate?” Stiles asked.

“Don’t change the subject,” Derek said.

“I’ve been thinking about…” Stiles started. “I want to be a Kindergarten teacher.”

His mouth clamped close as soon as he said it and he looked like he was about to sink into the booth. Derek didn’t know why he had been freaking out telling him. It seemed like a perfect fit for Stiles. He never knew Stiles liked kids, but apparently he did if he was going to become a Kindergarten teacher.

“I can see that,” Derek said.

“Seriously?” Stiles asked, practically springing forward to lean against the table. “You think I can do it?”

“Of course,” Derek said. “Have you told your dad?”

“No,” Stiles said. “You’re kind of the first person I’ve told.”

It was kind of impossible for Derek to stop the small smile that was working on his lips. The fact that Stiles trusted him enough to tell him that was something that he had wanted for a while. He hadn’t realized how much he had missed him in his life.

“I kind of want to go away to college too,” Stiles said. “I don’t want to live in Beacon Hills for the rest of my life.”

“Has _Doctor Who_ made you feel like you need an adventure?” Derek asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, no… yes, maybe?” Stiles said. “I know I can’t travel all of time and space, so I might as well travel the world I can see. I want to get out.”

They talked for a few more minutes about school and _Doctor Who_ and a few other things when their pizza was ready. They split the bill and then headed outside back to the Camaro as soon as a silver Porsche pulled into the parking lot.

“Oh shit,” Stiles said from next to him.

Derek was about to ask what was wrong when four people got out of the car. He instantly recognized Scott and Allison, but it took him longer to realize that the other two were Jackson Whittemore and Lydia Martin. Stiles’ was already walking away from Derek and quickly toward the Camaro.

It was too late though because Scott had already seen them. “Hey, what are you two doing here?”

“Getting a pizza,” Derek deadpanned.

Stiles slowly inched his way back toward Derek and the rest of the group. Allison was standing next to Scott, smiling at both of them. Jackson was smirking at Stiles looking like he about to attack and Lydia was looking at Derek with a little too much interest. He hated rich high school kids.

“I can see that,” Scott said. “But what are you guys doing together?”

“They look like they’re on a date,” Jackson said. “I always thought that Stilinski looked like a cocksucker.”

Stiles’ face instantly flushed and he looked like he was about to respond when Derek answered Scott instead. “ _Doctor Who_ premiere tonight.”

“Wow, you guys still watch that?” Scott asked.

“Scott, one does not simply stop watching _Doctor Who_ ,” Stiles said.

“Isn’t that the show with the gay aliens?” Jackson asked, apparently unable to wipe the obnoxious smirk from his face.

“No, that’s _Torchwood_ ,” Derek said. “And that doesn’t come back until the fall.”

Before one more remark could be made, Derek turned around and headed toward the Camaro. He got into the car and moments later Stiles joined him. Derek pulled out of the parking lot and headed back toward the apartment.

“Jackson didn’t mean anything by the gay stuff,” Stiles explained. “His best friend is gay.”

“Why do you let him talk to you like that?” Derek asked.

“Well, he rarely talks to me as it is, so it doesn’t really matter,” Stiles shrugged. “It’s no big deal.”

Except it was a big deal. Derek didn’t want people bringing Stiles down. He didn’t want people who didn’t know the first thing about him making judgments. He didn’t want anyone to hurt Stiles.

“Jackson’s just an asshole by nature,” Stiles said. “He’s adopted and I think that probably has something to do with it. He’s not even that nice to Lydia, which he totally should be, she’s his girlfriend and she deserves so much better than him anyway. She’s really just-.”

“Stiles,” Derek interjected.

“Yeah?”

“You’re going to make a really good teacher,” Derek said.

There was silence from the passenger’s seat and when Derek stopped at a red light, he looked over to see Stiles looking at him. It was a weird look, one he had never seen on anyone before, let alone Stiles. His mouth was gaping open a little (that was nothing new) and his eyes were a little wider. Stiles’ cheeks were faintly flushed and Derek felt something just take root inside of him. Stiles’ was looking at him like he had seen him for the first time and that was terrifying and wonderful and Derek couldn’t even begin to think of compartmentalizing everything he was feeling.

A horn honked behind them and Derek looked back at the stoplight to see that it was green now. He pressed down on the gas and checked the clock. There were five minutes until the premiere started.

“I guess I better hurry,” Derek said, nodding toward the clock.

Stiles looked over at the clock. “Yeah. We don’t want to miss it.”

Derek tried to ignore how Stiles looked at him for the rest of the night. He didn’t want to even start thinking about it.

**OoOoOoO**

It was June and the first official day of summer when Derek got the call. He had gotten the job at the architecture firm. He turned it down though. It was a shitty firm that did mostly home improvement projects than anything else. He hadn’t quit at the art store or bar, so he still had two jobs and his grad school was already paid for due to a scholarship.

Stiles got the job at the bookstore and Scott was still working as a veterinarian assistant. Everyone was working that summer, but there had been one week in July that they all decided to take off.

They met in the bookstore since that was the least crowded out of all the places where they worked. They were sitting in the self-help section as Stiles pretended to alphabetize books. Scott and Allison (who was a receptionist at the sports center) were sitting next to each other, holding hands and smiling at each other every chance they got. Laura was sitting across from them and next to Derek, instead of holding his hand she was complaining about his hair.

“You need to get it cut,” she said, tugging at a strand. “It’s getting long.”

“It looks fine,” Derek said, swatting her hand away.

“I’d like you to say that a week from today when you look like Cousin Itt.”

“There is nothing wrong with my hair, Laura,” Derek groaned.

They had had this conversation what felt like five times this week. She was always finding something about him to criticize.

“That’s what Scott said when I told him to get rid of the floppy look,” Laura said, gesturing toward Scott who had her full attention. (It didn’t take long for Derek to realize that Scott liked Laura better than he liked Derek. Most people did.) “Now look at him. It looks so nice now. Very clean-cut, very handsome.”

“Thanks Laura,” Scott said, his face brightening up considerably.

Derek was very close to sharing how Laura had chased Scott around the McHale house with a pair of scissors until she could tackle him to the ground and chop off a piece so that he was forced to get a haircut. It was a good look for Scott. He still looked like a dopey puppy, but a full-grown dopey puppy.

“Haircuts aside,” Derek said, turning to Stiles who was no longer alphabetizing and now just flipping through a book. “Why are we here again?”

It took Stiles about two seconds to realize that the question was directed toward him. He looked at Derek and then shoved the book back onto the shelf. “Well, we’re here to plan the beach trip. Laura’s rich uncle has a beach house like three hours from here.”

“It’s true,” Laura nodded. “Three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and it’s on a private beach. You’re welcome.”

“I am not going on vacation with Laura and three teenagers,” Derek said. “I don’t see how that can even be called a vacation.”

“Don’t be such a sour face,” Stiles said. “It’ll be fun. Come on, Derek, vision with me.”

Stiles squeezed between him and Laura and slung an arm around Derek’s shoulders, moving his hand in the air like he was gesturing toward something in the distance. “Private beach. Fancy house. Bonfire for making s’mores. Drive into town to play mini golf. _Doctor Who_ marathons where we get the three of them addicted. No work for a week. You can brood all you want without any judgment. A big room to yourself-.”

“Uh, no,” Laura cut in.

“What?” Stiles asked, brought back from his beach vision.

“There are only three rooms and I’m getting my own,” Laura said. “I’m the oldest and it’s my uncle’s beach house.”

“Oh, well, uh you can room with Scott-,” Stiles started.

“If I’m rooming with Derek then that would mean you would room with Allison,” Scott said. “My girlfriend isn’t rooming with you Stiles.”

“Okay, you’ll room with me,” Stiles said, looking at Derek apologetically. “I’m not that bad though. I’ve been told that I snore, but it’s nothing too bad. I can clean up after myself and everything. Absolutely nothing to worry about, Derek. I’ll be the best roommate ever.”

“Fine,” Derek said. “Besides, out of the four of you, I’d want to room with you the most.”

Derek expected Stiles to be pleasantly surprised by that comment. Instead Stiles’ was gaping at him with a goofy smile that rivaled some of Scott’s best.

“When are we leaving?” Derek asked, still looking at Stiles who was still smiling at him.

“Saturday morning,” Stiles said. “We’re meeting at my place since we’re taking the Jeep.”

They all agreed to meet at the Stilinski house at 8:30 so that they could get to the beach house by noon. Scott and Allison left the bookstore together with Laura closely behind. Stiles had gone back to alphabetizing and Derek was leaning against the shelf, watching him.

Stiles was still gangly and pale with freckles and moles dotted all over his body. The buzz cut suited him a lot more than his once shaggy hair, but it would probably look even better if he grew it out more. His eyes were still big and brown, but Derek felt like he was looking at them for the first time. They looked more amber than anything and _fuck_ , they were kind of gorgeous. The last thing Derek focused on (and he couldn’t believe that he was actually focusing on them) were Stiles’ lips. And if his eyes were gorgeous, then his lips were fucking obscene. Full, pink, and almost always parted; they were practically perfect and Derek wondered what they would feel like wrapped around his-.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer, Derek.”

Derek’s eyes flickered from his lips to his eyes. That didn’t seem to help.

“I don’t need to take a picture since we’re going to be roommates for an entire week. And without me, an adult, your dad probably won’t let you go on this trip. So, remember that.”

Stiles couldn’t respond to that because Derek was already making his way out of the store. He got into his Camaro and closed the door before he started palming at his dick.

He wanted to fuck Stiles. He wanted to have sex with his little brother’s best friend. He wanted to do the most obscene things in the world to someone he had known since they were nine.

And he was going to be sharing a bedroom with him for an entire week. _Great._

**OoOoOoO**

“How are you holding up?” Laura asked, sitting down next to him in the sand.

It was day five of staying at the Beach House from Hell and Derek wasn’t exactly having the best time. The house was nice, the beach was great, and they were only 20 minutes away from civilization. The company was what was making Derek dread every time he woke up. Laura and Allison were fine, Scott was obnoxious (what else was new?), and Stiles was driving him absolutely insane.

This had nothing to do with Stiles talking nonstop or being as loud as possible, it had everything to do with Derek realizing that he was attracted to Stiles. _Stiles_. He was attracted to _Stiles_. Yeah, it wasn’t starting to make sense even though he had repeated it a hundred times in his head. He had seen him shirtless every day, not to mention he slept in just his boxers and a thin t-shirt. It was like he was just trying to kill Derek, even though he probably had no idea what he was doing.

“I’m fine,” Derek said.

“Uh-huh,” Laura said, nodding her head slowly. “Look on the bright side, we leave Saturday morning. That’s only three days from now!”

“Wow, Laura, that’s really encouraging.”

“Okay, shut up. I’m trying to help.”

Of course Laura knew. She had picked up on it the very first day when they had headed to the beach and Stiles had taken his shirt off. Derek’s eyes had lingered on the trail of hair leading down into Stiles’ swim trunks for a little too long. Laura had noticed, naturally.

“Maybe it’s not even Stiles,” she said. “Maybe you just need to get laid. It has been a while.”

“I thought you were against me sleeping with random strangers,” Derek said.

“No, I’m against the amount of people you used to sleep with,” Laura said. “It was practically one person a day. But meeting some guy or girl while you’re on vacation isn’t going to hurt anyone. Especially if it gets your mind off of the 16 year-old you’ve been drooling over.”

“I haven’t been drooling,” Derek said. “He’s just the only person I’ve been hanging around lately that isn’t related to me or feels like they’re related to me. You’re right; I probably just need to find someone.”

“Okay, so tonight, we’ll hijack the Jeep and go out,” Laura said. “You can disappear for a few hours and then come back to meet me when you’re done.”

Derek nodded in agreement and Laura slapped him on the shoulder before standing up and making her way toward the ocean. Scott and Allison were building a sandcastle (that looked more like a cluster of sand mountains) and Stiles was nowhere to be found.

“Hey man.”

Scratch that, Stiles was sitting down next to Derek, right where Laura had been.

“Hey,” Derek said, glancing over to Stiles who was thankfully wearing a t-shirt.

“Too cool for the ocean, huh?”

“I’m not in the mood,” Derek shrugged.

Stiles looked at him, completely baffled. “How can you not be in the mood for the ocean?”

“I don’t feel like getting dunked by Laura for the 500th time,” Derek said.

“Oh, right, good point,” Stiles said. “It makes a good show for me though. Gives me something to laugh at.”

Derek punched him on the shoulder and Stiles fell over sideways in the sand. He was about to ask him if he was okay (Derek really needed to learn his own strength) when Stiles started laughing.

“Okay, okay,” Stiles chuckled, choosing to lean back against his elbows instead of sitting back up. “No need to be so touchy.”

He looked good like that, reclining on the sand with his legs stretched out and his head tilted to the side. His t-shirt was thin and faded, definitely something he had owned for a while, and it was riding up a bit, showing his pale skin. Derek’s hand twitched and he felt an overwhelming need to reach out and touch.

“Laura and I are going to need to borrow your Jeep tonight,” Derek said.

“Why?”

“We’re probably going to find a bar,” Derek shrugged. “And since you three are only 16-.”

“-Allison is actually 17-.”

“-You guys are going to stay here and watch a movie or something,” Derek said.

It was easy to tell just from Stiles’  face that he didn’t think this was a good idea. It didn’t really matter if he thought it was a good idea or not. Derek was in need of alcohol and a good lay, and he wasn’t going to get either at the beach house or with a teenager tagging along.

“It’s just one night,” Derek said. “We’ll take good care of your car, if that’s what you’re worried about. Laura probably won’t drink, so she’ll be safe to drive.”

“Yeah, but…” Stiles said. “What’s so exciting about going to a bar? If you want to get wasted go to a liquor store and then bring some back here, then we can all benefit.”

“I’m not giving teenagers alcohol.”

“Okay, then don’t give us any,” Stiles said. “That still doesn’t mean that you can’t bring it back here.”

Derek knew what Stiles was getting at. He wanted Derek to say the exact reason as to why he was going out. He sighed, looking away from Stiles and toward the ocean.

“C’mon, Derek,” Stiles said, nudging his side with his foot. “Why are you really going?”

“Do you really want to know?” Derek asked, looking back at Stiles.

“Uh, yeah,” Stiles said, motioning his arms for Derek to continue. “I’ve only been asking you for the past five minutes.”

“I’m going to fuck somebody.”

Stiles looked like someone had just thrown a bucket of cold water on him. His mouth fell open and you started to sputter, looking for the appropriate thing to say. Before he could get anything out, Derek stood up and headed back into the beach house.

Later that night, Derek and Laura drove into town and parked outside the first bar they came across. Laura wished him good luck before disappearing inside. Derek sat at the bar and he hadn’t even finished one beer when a gorgeous, tall red head joined him. She was talkative, but not too talkative and after about a half an hour she took him back to her apartment.

He had almost forgotten how good he was at this. It was so easy for him to just meet someone, have sex with them, and then leave with no strings attached. The girl (Kim, she had told him) was just what he needed. They messed around for a while and once they were both sated she made it clear that he wouldn’t be staying the night. He agreed and after a quick shower and one more kiss, he was heading back to the bar. Laura was there, drinking water and enjoying being pathetically hit on. When Derek arrived she used the “this is my little brother and we really have to go” excuse. They left the bar with Laura poking him in the side.

“How’d it go?”

“Is it bad that I’m kind of a professional at having sex with strangers?” he asked.

“Depends on who you’re asking,” Laura shrugged. “Was she any good?”

“Yeah, she was great.”

“Feeling any urge to jump onto a certain 16 year-old boy?”

“No, not at all.”

“Good.”

If only it were that simple. The next day Derek woke up to an empty room. Stiles usually woke up later than him, but Derek looked at the clock next to him to see that he had slept in. He slipped on a pair of sweatpants and pulled a wife beater over his head before heading downstairs.

Stiles’ was standing in front of the stove, flipping a pancake from the pan and onto a pile he had already made. He was just wearing a pair of flannel pajama pants that rested low on his hips, the band of his boxers in clear sight. Derek looked at his back, pale and covered with freckles and moles, and fought the urge to run his hand down it. It’d be so easy to walk up behind him, place a hand on the back of Stiles’ neck and trail it down his back, and when he’d reach the band of his boxers he would slid his hand over and cup his hip. Derek would press Stiles against him and place his lips on the crook of his neck, sucking a bruise onto the pale, untouched skin.

_Fuck._

He wasn’t just attracted to Stiles. He _liked_ Stiles.

“Good morning!” Stiles greeted, looking over his shoulder and noticing Derek.

“Morning,” Derek said, efficiently brought out of his daze. “So, pancakes?”

“Yeah, when we went to the store I snuck a box of Bisquick into the cart,” Stiles shrugged. “I thought that today would be good.”

Derek nodded before heading to the coffee pot to make a pot. Stiles had already taken care of that though, so Derek poured himself a mug and leaned against the counter. He tried to focus on his coffee, but his eyes kept wandering over to Stiles who was still flipping pancakes like nothing was wrong.

“So, uh, how was last night?” Stiles asked.

It took a few seconds to realize what Stiles was talking about and he instantly felt guilty. He had slept with that girl to try to stop thinking about Stiles, but here he was, thinking about Stiles.

“It was good,” Derek said eventually. “How was your night?”

“It was okay,” Stiles shrugged. “We ate dinner, watched some TV, and when the sun went down Scott and Allison went on a romantic stroll on the beach and they invited me along.”

“They didn’t.”

“Oh, they did,” Stiles said. “They made it sound like it would be a fun group activity. As soon as we got out there they held hands and started walking as slowly as humanly possible.”

“What’d you do?”

“Took all of my clothes off and ran into the ocean.”

Derek choked on his coffee and Stiles laughed and shook his head.

“Not really!” Stiles said, reaching over to slap Derek on the back. “I went back inside and watched the _Doctor Who_ Comic Con panel from a few days ago. I’ve still got it up on my laptop if you want to watch it later.”

“Yeah, yeah I do,” Derek nodded, still trying to recover from choking on hot coffee. A naked Stiles was one image he did not need right now.

“We’re leaving in two days,” Stiles said offhandedly.

“Back to Beacon Hills,” Derek nodded. “You start your junior year soon.”

“Yeah and you start grad school soon,” Stiles countered. “I, uh, heard that you didn’t get that architect job.”

“I turned it down.”

“What?” Stiles asked, turning his head so quickly to look at Derek that he could have gotten whiplash. “Why would you turn it down?”

“Because I didn’t like the boss and they only do home improvement projects,” Derek shrugged. “I’ll get my Doctorate and I’ll start my own firm. I can do what I want to do.”

“Doesn’t that require a lot of money?”

“I have money,” Derek shrugged.

“Well, that sounds ominous,” Stiles said. “Are you a drug dealer? Do you make crystal meth and sell it to guys who own fast food restaurants?”

“Did you just make a really bad _Breaking Bad_ reference?”

Stiles just shrugged and turned back to his pancakes. He poured the last of the batter into the pan for one final pancake. The stood in comfortable silence for a little longer before Laura came into the kitchen, sleepy and bleary-eyed. She poured herself a mug of coffee and then leaned against Derek while she complained about things such as sunlight and idiots talking loudly in the kitchen and waking her up. She then turned to Stiles and asked if it was a safety hazard for him to be cooking without a shirt on. When Stiles rushed back upstairs to grab a shirt, Derek didn’t know if he should kiss her or hit her.

The last day at the beach house was filled with a schedule of hanging out on the beach. That night they went into town and went out to eat before going to play mini-golf (where Allison beat all of them). Stiles forced all of them to watch a few episodes of _Doctor Who_ and then they all did final checks to make sure everything was packed. It was around one o’clock when they all went to bed and it was at 5:30 AM when Derek was woken up.

There were shuffling noises in the room and then a loud thump and a voice saying a handful of colorful words. Derek sat up and leaned over to turn on the lamp on the nightstand. Light flooded the room and he saw Stiles sprawled out on the floor.

“Trip on your way to the bathroom?” Derek asked, not even trying to put emotion into his voice this early in the morning.

“Sorry, I woke you up,” Stiles stated, standing up and holding a sandal in front of him. “It was under the bed and I slipped on the bed skirt trying to get it.”

“Why do you need your sandals to go to the bathroom?”

“I’m not going to the bathroom,” Stiles said. “I was planning on checking out the sunrise. Sunrises on the beach are supposed to be cool or something.”

Derek nodded slowly, his mind still clouded with sleep. They weren’t leaving the beach house until noon. This was their last morning here. Obviously this was their last time to see the sunrise on the beach, something none of them had done all week. His mind started to clear as he woke up and Derek pushed the covers back, getting out of bed.

“What are you doing?” Stiles asked.

“I’m going to watch the sunrise on the beach,” Derek shrugged, grabbing a pair of his swim trunks and pulling them on. “What time is it supposed to happen?”

“Uh, in like 15 minutes,” Stiles said, looking at his cellphone to check the time.

“Then let’s go,” Derek said.

Stiles was still frozen in the room, clearly not understanding what Derek had said. “Wait, you want to come with me?”

“Why not?” Derek said.

Derek didn’t wait for a response, heading out of the room and down the stairs. He went onto the back porch and descended the steps, walking onto the cool sand. He heard the porch door shut behind him and he turned around to see Stiles walking down the steps and onto the beach.

Stiles’ was wearing a pair of plaid shorts and (thankfully) a t-shirt. He looked awake and excited and just a bit nervous, something that Derek didn’t understand at all. Stiles pulled a digital camera out of his pocket and turned it on.

“You’re going to take pictures?” Derek asked.

“Yeah, well it’s kind of for my dad,” Stiles said, scratching the back of his neck and looking down. “Well, for him and my mom.”

“Aria?” Derek asked and he realized that it had been too long since he had said her name, since he had even thought about her.

Stiles nodded, looking up at Derek. “She always said that sunrises were more beautiful than sunsets and that nothing was better than one on the beach. I told my dad that I would take some pictures and that we could put a few by her grave.”

“That’s nice,” Derek said. “She’d like that.”

Stiles smiled at him (something that still made his insides warm up and tighten in anything but discomfort). They stood in companionable silence for a few more minutes until Derek saw the first rays of light making their way over the horizon. He pointed toward it and Stiles nodded, holding up the camera and taking a few pictures.

The sunrise was beautiful, but Derek couldn’t really focus on it. All he could think of was Aria and that letter of recommendation she had written him. He still hadn’t read it, it was still tucked away. He should read it, even if it would just be something clinical, something that she had written to a few college officials. It hadn’t been meant for Derek’s eyes, but it was still something that she had written. It was probably one of the last things she had written.

Derek glanced over at Stiles who was standing next to him. Should he tell Stiles about it? It was his mother after all, even if it hadn’t been written for him. Would it just make Stiles happy or sad?

“Stiles,” Derek said to get his attention.

They turned their heads at the same time and all thoughts of Aria and the letter left his head. When did Stiles get so tall? He was still shorter than Derek, but only by an inch or two. Speaking of inches, their faces were incredibly close and Derek couldn’t help but think of how easy it would be. How easy it would be to just lean over and press his mouth against Stiles’.

“Derek?” Stiles said, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

Derek then realized that he was staring at Stiles’ lips. He needed to stop doing that. He flickered his eyes up to meet wide, amber ones. It would be so easy and Stiles didn’t look like he didn’t want it. In fact, he looked like he was preparing himself for it. His eyes were half-lidded and his mouth was parted, like he was waiting for Derek.

Fuck, if he had ever seen anything more beautiful.

He turned his head away, facing the rising sun once more. “You make a good roommate.”

Derek didn’t need to look at Stiles to know that he was coming out of his daze. There were a few seconds of long silence before Stiles responded.

“Uh, thanks,” he said, sounding uncertain and disappointed. “You too.”

**OoOoOoO**

School had started again. Derek was busy with grad school and his two jobs. Laura was busy with her one job and her boyfriend (who still had yet to be introduced to Derek). Scott was busy with school and lacrosse training and Allison. Stiles was busy with work and school and “lacrosse training”. Melissa was busy with work and, surprisingly, Sheriff Stilinski.

“John and I are not dating,” Melissa said firmly one Friday night dinner.

It was just Melissa, Derek, and Scott, so of course Scott had brought up their mom’s relationship with the Sheriff. She had instantly flushed before shaking her head.

“He’s a good friend,” she shrugged. “I have friends too.”

“We know, Mom,” Derek said. “It’s just weird, I guess. I’m happy that you’re dating again, it’s just-.”

“We’re not dating!” Melissa interjected. “I was good friends with Aria, you know that. Besides, you two are so close to Stiles that I thought, why not? We haven’t talked in a while, so I asked if he wanted to go out to dinner.”

“You asked him out on a date?” Scott asked.

“It wasn’t a date.”

“It _sounds_ like a date,” Scott said.

“Well, it wasn’t,” Melissa said. “We had a nice dinner. We caught up. I invited him to Friday night dinner next week.”

“He’s meeting the family already?” Scott asked, snickering into his pasta.

Melissa glared at her youngest son before looking at Derek. “You can invite Laura as well and try to see if she’ll bring her mysterious boyfriend along.”

“Can I invite Allison?” Scott asked.

“Of course,” Melissa said. “God knows what she sees in you though.”

It was Derek’s turn to snicker into his pasta. Scott kicked him from under the table.

Exactly one week later, Derek and Laura (+brownies, -boyfriend) arrived early at the McHale house. The front door was already unlocked, so they let themselves into the chaos. Friday night dinner was about to see its biggest attendance yet and Melissa was freaking out.

Derek and Laura stood in the archway of the kitchen, watching unsurely as Melissa dashed around the room. It didn’t take her long to notice them just standing there. Instead of putting them to work though, she chose to rant to them.

“Seven people!” she exclaimed. “The most I’ve ever cooked for is five! How am I supposed to manage seven? Why did I tell Scott he could invite Allison? Thank God you didn’t bring your boyfriend, Laura. I want to meet him, but eight would just be too much. I’m making pot roast. Everyone likes pot roast, right? Wait, is Allison a vegetarian? She looks like a vegetarian. Wait, no she ate a hamburger last time she was here.”

This appeared to be the end of her rambling and she looked at Derek and Laura. Apparently it was their turn to say something.

“I made brownies!” Laura offered, holding the pan up.

Melissa’s eyes darted to the pan in Laura’s hands and she nodded. “Brownies, that’s good. I forgot all about dessert. Laura you are a lifesaver.”

“Well I wouldn’t say that,” Laura said, placing the brownies on the counter. “Anything I can help with?”

“The potatoes are ready to be mashed, so could you…?”

“On it,” Laura said, rolling up her sleeves and making her way to the potatoes.

Derek was about to ask if he could help as well when the doorbell rang. Melissa looked to him and he nodded, making his way back to the front door. He opened it and on the other side were Stiles and the Sheriff. Stiles grinned at Derek while the Sheriff gave him a nod. Derek hadn’t talked to the Sheriff in years, but Stiles had said that he didn’t blame him for anything. Everything would be fine.

“Come on in,” Derek said, standing out of their way to let them inside.

“Derek, it’s good to see you,” the Sheriff said, holding a hand out to Derek.

“You too, Sheriff,” Derek said, taking his hand and shaking it.

The Sheriff made his way to the kitchen while Stiles stayed behind, leaning against the wall opposite of Derek.

“I think our parents are dating,” Stiles said.

“Yeah, I think they are too,” Derek said. “Are you okay with that? It’s only been-.”

“Three years and eight months,” Stiles said automatically. “He’s happy though. For the first time in so long he’s actually happy. I swapped his hamburger for a veggie burger and he didn’t even notice.”

“My mom is actually freaking out over dinner too,” Derek said. “She’s making pot roast. She hasn’t made that since my dad was still around.”

“Whoa, that’s been like-.”

“Fourteen years on Scott’s birthday,” Derek said.

They didn’t say anything, just looked at each other. They had both lost a parent. In completely different ways, sure, but they had both lost one. Scott couldn’t understand since he had only been three when their dad had left. It was just one of the many things Stiles and Derek had between them.

Before anything else could be said the front door opened and Scott and Allison came in.

“Hey guys,” Scott greeted. “Whoa, it smells awesome in here.”

“Mom’s making pot roast,” Derek said, nodding at Allison in greeting.

“I’m going to see if she needs any help,” Allison said, making her way toward the kitchen.

Scott followed her, but turned around halfway. “If things work out between our parents, we could all be related!”

He then gave them both the thumbs up before following Allison to the kitchen. Derek thought what he had said over in his head. If his mom and Sheriff Stilinski got married, then Stiles would be his step-brother. The one person that he actually, kind of wanted to be with could be his step-brother. _Great_.

The dinner went smoothly. They were a bit crowded at the table, but it didn’t really matter. Everyone was talking about school or work. Everyone except Laura who commented on other people’s stories, but refrained from sharing anything about herself. Melissa tried to convince her to tell them about her boyfriend, but she refused.

After dishes they all decided to wait a while until eating the brownies. Laura left early, saying she had to meet her boyfriend (which brought up further questions that she still wouldn’t answer). Scott and Allison disappeared to his bedroom (with the door open). Melissa and the Sheriff went to the living room. This left Stiles and Derek to head outside onto the front porch.

“So, any luck with that Lydia girl?” Derek asked.

“Lydia,” Stiles said with a sigh. “I’m pretty sure she’s a lost cause. Her and Jackson broke up and got back together and now she actually seems happy. He’s less of an ass too. They really care about each other and he makes her happy, so… I guess I should be happy too.”

“Are you happy?” Derek asked. “You’ve liked her since the third grade.”

“Fourth grade,” Stiles said, and then he paused to think about it. His eyes widened and his face flushed and he started to shake his head. “No, you’re right. Third grade. I don’t know why I said fourth grade.”

“Any other girls you like?”

“Uh, no,” Stiles said. “She was kind of it.”

“That’s good,” Derek said, sitting down on the porch steps. “If you liked someone I would feel like I would have to give you relationship advice. And I’ve only had one relationship and that ended badly.”

“Kate, right?” Stiles asked, sitting down next to Derek. “I remember that she was there when you picked us up from school one time. What happened?”

“She thought I was Laura’s brother,” Derek shrugged. “The Hale family has a lot of money, so she thought that she could steal from me. When she found out that I wasn’t related she decided to just…”

He hadn’t told anyone this. Even Laura didn’t know the exact details.

“You don’t have to-.” Stiles started.

“She decided to just take my virginity and leave the next day,” Derek said. “She even changed her number.”

“I’m sorry, Derek,” Stiles said. “Is it weird seeing Allison? Since she’s her niece?”

“At first, yeah,” Derek said. “But she’s not like Kate. I like Allison, she’s good for Scott.”

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded. “She lost her mom too. She died giving birth to Allison. That must suck; she didn’t even get to know her. Now her dad is dating some younger woman that she hasn’t even met yet.”

Derek nodded in agreement. She had that in common with Scott, not even getting to know a parent. Now her dad was dating some younger woman and… Fuck, he was an idiot.

“Laura,” Derek said.

“What about her?” Stiles asked and then his eyes widened as he realized. “Oh, shit. You don’t think that Laura’s dating Mr. Argent? What if he’s trying to use her like Kate wanted to do with you?”

“No, Chris Argent has money,” Derek said. “He wouldn’t use her for that and from what Allison told me he wasn’t too happy with Kate trying to steal money from me.”

“Then why are they being so secretive?”

“Probably because Laura is closer in age to his daughter than him?” Derek suggested. “It’s a small town, this would be a big scandal.”

“We could be wrong though.”

“Yeah. We could be.”

**OoOoOoO**

Derek never asked Laura about it. It was her own business and if she ever wanted to tell him, then she would tell him. He trusted that she knew what she was getting into though. Laura was smart and could look after herself. He was just worried about her getting hurt.

He pushed all thoughts of Laura from his head though. He had just arrived at the Stilinski house to watch the _Doctor Who_ finale with Stiles. It had aired about a month ago, but they had both been too busy to watch it. Laura had deleted it from the DVR, so Stiles proposed that he download it onto his laptop. They had agreed to meet at five, but Derek was a little early.

Derek parked the Camaro on the street in front of the house. Just as he made his way up the front porch, the Sheriff came out of the house, dressed for work.

“Go on in,” he said. “He’s in his room.”

“Thanks,” Derek said, nodding in greeting.

Derek couldn’t even get his hand on the doorknob when he heard the cruiser pull out of the driveway. He turned around and gave the Sheriff a wave before heading into the house. It was strange being back. He walked inside and was about to head upstairs when he saw the kitchen. It definitely looked like two men lived there without a womanly presence. It was decently clean, but there were dishes piled in the sink and the trash looked like it was overflowing with fast food bags.

His eyes went to the kitchen table and he half-expected to see Aria sitting there, sketching. The table was clear though except for a pile of mail and an aquarium. Derek walked closer to it to see that it was actually a terrarium. It was probably a project for Stiles’ AP Biology class. The label on the side had Stiles’ name along with Lydia Martin’s. Derek didn’t know if he should be happy about that or not. Stiles had made it pretty clear that nothing was going to happen, but that didn’t stop Derek from worrying.

Worrying about what though? That Stiles was happy with the girl of his dreams instead of Derek? Derek didn’t even know if Stiles was interested in him. Hell, Derek didn’t know if he wanted to actually make a move on Stiles. He turned 17 in April and it was November. He had more than a year to wait until Stiles was 18 (and he had every intention of waiting). Did it really matter that much that he probably wouldn’t be the first one to touch Stiles?

 _Yes_ , a voice in the back of his head said. Of course he wanted to be the only one to touch Stiles, but the chances of that going his way were slim. It was stupid to think about these things now anyway. He was 16 and Derek had just turned 23. Nothing was going to happen.

Derek made his way up the stairs. He remember Stiles’ bedroom being the first door on the left, so he grabbed the handle and opened the door.

And of course every thought of Derek not touching Stiles until he was 18 left his head.

Stiles was lying on his bed with his eyes closed and his mouth open and with a hand wrapped around his hard cock. And that was the moment that Derek should have left the house and knocked on the front door so that Stiles would frantically finish up and open the door. He would never have to know what Derek had seen.

Derek didn’t leave though because Stiles didn’t look like he had any idea that Derek was there.

And, _fuck_ , Derek didn’t even want to think about leaving. Stiles didn’t have a shirt on, but his jeans and boxers were still on, just rolled down a bit so that Stiles could grip himself. One hand was fisting the sheets while the other pumped his cock, red and dripping pre-cum. His hips were arching into it and mewling noises were escaping from his lips.

Derek was absolutely transfixed, completely silent as he stood in front of the cracked door. His dick was becoming hard and he forced himself not to press his palm against it. He would make a noise and Stiles would hear and that was the last thing he wanted.

Stiles continued to stroke himself, but this time faster, obviously wanting to make himself come. His thumb came up to swipe across his head as he collected pre-cum and used it to jerk himself off faster. Slick sounds were filling the air now and Derek considered his plan to run out the door. The plan disappeared from his mind once again when Stiles switched hands.

He used his dry hand to continue stroking his cock and the other one, still slick with pre-cum, went under him, pressing one finger against his entrance and-.

“ _Fuck,_ Stiles,” Derek groaned, sounding absolutely wrecked.

Stiles’ eyes opened half-lidded and his eyes latched onto Derek and then he was coming. His eyes squeezed shut again and his mouth parted and this strangled moan escaped from his lips as cum escaped from his cock and spilled over his hand and onto his stomach. Stiles stroked himself through it until he was soft again.

He leaned back, boneless and sated before opening his eyes and looking up at his ceiling. A few seconds passed before Stiles finally joined Derek back on Earth.

“Holy shit!” Stiles exclaimed, sitting up quickly and locking eyes with Derek.

He was still flushed and covered with cum and his dick was hanging out. Apparently he didn’t know what to do first, so Derek calmly entered the room and grabbed a box of tissues before throwing it onto Stiles’ bed.

“Holy fuckin’ shit,” Stiles said, pulling his boxers and jeans up at the same time. “Holy motherfucking shit balls. Derek I-.”

“Clean yourself up,” Derek said, sitting at Stiles’ desk.

It was a miracle he could keep a straight face. The bigger miracle was that he was doing a damn good job of hiding his erection. It was at the point of throbbing violently, but he knew what it would look like if he went right to the bathroom. So, he was treating this like it was Scott he had caught jacking off (something that had unfortunately happened several times).

Stiles nodded, his face still flushed, as he grabbed a handful of tissues and wiped cum off of him. He threw the tissues away and pulled on a t-shirt. Stiles then stood awkwardly in the middle of the bedroom, facing Derek, but looking anywhere but his face.

“Uh, I’m sorry you had to see that,” he said. “But you need to knock, dude! And you’re early! And my dad had just left so I thought I could get some ‘Stiles Time’ in before you got here. There’s nothing wrong with what I was doing and, uh, you’re kind of just nodding along to everything that I’m saying.”

“Because I’m agreeing with everything that you’re saying,” Derek said. “I should have knocked, I’m sorry. Your dad let me in and I looked around downstairs a bit before coming up here. I didn’t think you would be… doing that. And there is nothing wrong with doing what you were doing.”

“I know that,” Stiles said. “I just- I’m sorry, okay?”

“Stiles, it was my fault,” Derek insisted. “I’m not judging you.”

“I know you’re not,” Stiles said. “It’s just that I’m sorry about… y’know.”

No, Derek did not know. He should have knocked. He should have exited the house as soon as he had seen what Stiles was doing. It was his fault. So why was Stiles apologizing?

“Stiles I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You’re really going to make me say it, aren’t you?”

Okay, now Derek was just getting annoyed. “Yes I’m going to make you say it since I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Stiles met his eyes then and Derek could tell that he was feeling nervous about something. He even looked a little bit ashamed. For some reason that concerned Derek more than anything. Nothing that Stiles had been, uh, doing had been anything to be ashamed about. Maybe it was about the finger he had pressed against his hole (and Derek did not need to think about that, because that was not helping his dick calm down).

“I- When you said my name I-,” Stiles said, waving his hands around in some kind of obscene gesture. “I _y’know-_ ed when you said my name.”

Oh. _Oh._ He did come when Derek had said his name, didn’t he? And that fact was definitely not helping the dilemma Derek was having in his pants at the moment.

“You’re worried about that?” Derek asked, trying to make himself sound carefree (which was fucking hard since he was never carefree). “That’s not a problem. When you’re kind of… in the moment-” _Was he really going to explain this to Stiles?_ “-and someone says your name-” _Yeah, he was explaining it._ “-it’s kind of a turn-on. Regardless of whom it is that says it.”

Stiles seemed to take this information in before he started nodding to himself. “Yeah, that makes sense.”

He couldn’t believe he bought that. Either that or he had been turned-on by Derek saying his name and he was taking the out Derek was giving him. Derek hoped it was the latter.

“So we should watch the episode, right?” Stiles said, pulling up a chair next to Derek and turning on his laptop.

“Yeah, we should,” Derek nodded.

The silence was awkward as Stiles looked for the download file on his computer. He found it quickly enough though, so the silence was soon replaced by the episode. Derek had uncrossed his legs about five minutes in, relieved that his erection was gone. He didn’t miss Stiles glancing at his crotch though, nor did he miss the disappointed look on his face.

**OoOoOoO**

It was cold outside. This made perfect sense because it was 11:51 PM on December 31st and Derek was sitting on the roof of the McHale house. Inside everyone was talking and drinking and sitting around the TV waiting for the ball to drop in New York.

Derek was sitting on the roof with a bottle of whiskey next to him. It wasn’t just a small cluster of people, but basically everyone that Melissa worked with at the hospital. Scott was at a party and Laura was with her boyfriend (whose identity he still didn’t know). Sheriff Stilinski was downstairs though since he and Melissa had finally admitted that they were dating. That was good. His mom was happy and so was the Sheriff. Derek was genuinely happy for them.

So, everyone was happy and with someone. Except for Derek. His mom had tried to introduce him to a few med school interns, but none of them had caught his interest. And by caught his interest he meant that none of them were Stiles. He was still infatuated with the 16 year-old and now that he had a perfect image of Stiles jerking off in his head, well, his infatuation wasn’t going anywhere.

Especially since he was climbing out of Derek’s old bedroom window and joining him on the roof.

“Want some company?” Stiles asked, sitting next to Derek.

“What are you doing here, Stiles?” Derek asked.

“I wasn’t invited to the super cool party at Lydia’s house,” Stiles shrugged. “I didn’t want to be alone on New Year’s Eve, so I thought I would come over here. I thought you and Laura might be here hiding out. Turns out it’s just you.”

“Sorry to disappoint,” Derek said, taking a swig from the bottle of whiskey.

“I’m not,” Stiles said almost too quickly. Derek looked over at him, raising an eyebrow. “I mean I’m not disappointed because you’re here. I don’t have to celebrate the New Year alone.”

Hearing him say that probably hurt a lot more than it should. Derek never wanted Stiles to be alone, just the thought of Stiles being alone hurt. He probably used to celebrate New Year’s Eve with his mom and dad and then just his dad afterward. And now his dad was downstairs with Derek’s mom. Scott was at some party with Allison, just waiting to kiss her at midnight.

Derek glanced down at his watch to notice that it was now 11:56. Four more minutes to go.

“Where’s Laura?” Stiles asked.

“With her boyfriend.”

“Oh, did you find out if it’s Mr. Argent or not?” Stiles asked.

“I have no fucking idea,” Derek said.

That came out a lot harsher than it should have. He should probably lay off the alcohol.

“Uh, think I can get a hit of that?” Stiles asked, gesturing toward the bottle still clenched in Derek’s hand.

“You’re 16,” Derek said.

“Yeah,” Stiles said, shrugging. “Just one _tiny_ sip, Derek. That’s it. No one has to know except us. Our little secret.”

Derek sighed before handing the bottle to Stiles. He watched as Stiles took a sip, swallowed it, and then started coughing.

“Sh-Shit!” Stiles spluttered, coughing into his elbow.

Derek slapped him on the back and Stiles stopped coughing, holding the bottle even tighter. A few seconds passed and Stiles took another drink.

“You’re an idiot,” Derek said, taking the bottle back when Stiles started coughing again.

“You love it,” Stiles said, blinking furiously.

He shook his head, placing the bottle on the roof next to him. Derek glanced at his watch again.

“What’s the time?” Stiles asked, leaning toward Derek to look at his watch.

“11:58,” Derek said. “Two minutes.”

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded. “Y’know this was my mom’s favorite holiday. She loved letting me stay up late. At 11:30 we would go outside and light sparklers. Then we would go inside and she would make hot chocolate while we watched the ball drop and right at midnight she would kiss my dad and then kiss me on the cheek.”

“That sounds nice,” Derek said, turning to face Stiles.

“It was,” Stiles said.

They sat in silence until Derek heard people starting to count down from 30 in the house. Stiles heard it too and pulled out his cellphone to confirm the time. He turned his head to face Derek and their noses bumped together. Derek hadn’t realized how close they were sitting.

_15, 14, 13, 12…!_

“It’s almost the New Year,” Stiles said and for some reason he was whispering.

_9, 8, 7, 6…!_

“Yeah,” Derek said and his voice was stupidly soft as well.

_3, 2, 1! Happy New Year!_

Derek cupped the sides of Stiles’ face and pressed their lips together. Stiles let out a broken moan and Derek nearly lost it right there. He could have said everything that he had ever felt toward Stiles in that one moment.

But Stiles was clutching his jacket with both of his hands and pressing his lips firmly against Derek’s. He was insistent and clumsy and Derek wondered if he was Stiles’ first kiss.

He didn’t want to think about that right now. He didn’t want to think about anything.

Derek moved a hand to the back of Stiles’ neck and he parted his lips, latching onto Stiles’ top one and pulling at it. Stiles moved forward with it and then chased Derek’s mouth when he parted from him.

Quickly, Derek opened his eyes, wanting to make sure he got a good look at Stiles. And he was perfect. How the hell had no one ever tried to make a move on him before? His pale skin was flushed and his stupid mouth was parted and red. His eyes flew open though and Derek had to look away.

“Happy New Year,” Derek said, taking the bottle of whiskey and leaving back through his window. He made his way to the hallway bathroom and locked the door behind him.

That had been beyond stupid. He had kissed Stiles. He had kissed him and it had felt so right and perfect that it made him feel uneasy. Derek never had anything right and perfect when it came to things like this. He being in love with Stiles was never supposed to amount to anything.

And of course he was in love with him. Because he was Stiles and he was loud and brash and sarcastic and honest and loyal and selfless. He was everything Derek wanted and everything he didn’t deserve. Derek wanted so much from Stiles that he didn’t owe him. He wanted Stiles to be the person he woke up looking at every morning. He wanted Stiles to be there when he had a bad day at work. He didn’t even want to fuck Stiles anymore, he wanted to _make love to him_ and that was probably the worst one.

Because Derek wasn’t capable of giving love to people even though Stiles was probably the one person in the world most deserving of it.

**OoOoOoO**

It was mid-January and Derek was the only one at the art store. They closed in ten minutes, but he was closing early because no one ever came into the store within the last hour. He was checking the aisles to make sure everything was in place when the bell over the front door chimed. He groaned and made his way toward the front.

“I’m sorry, but we close in ten minutes,” he said.

“I only need five.”

Stiles was standing right in front of the door, looking like he was about to sprint out of it at any second. Derek should have seen this coming. It had been a couple of weeks since the kissing incident and they hadn’t spoken since. The Sheriff had been present at all of the Friday night dinners, but Stiles had been absent because of “too much homework”.

It was safe to say that they had been actively avoiding each other. Derek would always avoid the school and the Stilinski house while driving and he swore that he had seen Stiles hiding behind a produce stand at the grocery store. Obviously Stiles was the bigger man in this situation since he was coming to Derek to confront him.

Even if he did look like he just wanted to run away.

“What is it?” Derek asked.

“’What is it’ he says,” Stiles said, laughing and looking away from Derek. “’What is it’? Derek, seriously?”

“Why are you here, Stiles?”

Playing dumb wasn’t going to do any good. Especially since Stiles was looking at him like he was insane.

“Because I would like some confirmation about something,” Stiles said.

“About what?”

“What is up with you and acting like you have no idea what I’m talking about?” Stiles asked. “Because you know what I’m talking about, Derek. You have to know. You just want me to say it because you’re too freaked out to say it yourself-.”

“I kissed you.”

“-Or you’re not too freaked out.”

Stiles looked considerably off-guard by Derek’s sudden statement. He had probably rehearsed a speech and written it down and everything. Did he really think that Derek was just going to avoid him forever? Well, he would have avoided him forever, so he wasn’t exactly wrong.

“Okay, so,” Stiles said, trying to get back on track. “You kissed me. And I kind of kissed you back.”

“I know,” Derek said. “I was there.”

Stiles glared. Derek shrugged.

“You kissed me,” Stiles repeated. “And it wasn’t unpleasant. Um, and it wasn’t exactly unwelcome or anything. And I realize that I’m using a lot of double negatives here, but, uh, do you not dislike me?”

The upward twitch of Derek’s mouth was completely involuntary. Stiles’ was trying to ask him if he liked him and this seemed so middle school that it was almost humorous. He half-expected Stiles to give him a note that said: “Do you like me? Please check yes or no.”

“Was it your first kiss?” Derek asked.

“You haven’t answered my question.”

“I will if you answer mine.”

“I asked you first,” Stiles said and then he cringed. “Okay, I sound like I’m five now, don’t I?”

Derek didn’t even have to nod his head. He just raised an eyebrow at Stiles and he sighed heavily. He bit his bottom lip and shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoody while looking at his feet. “Yeah, it was my first kiss. Congratulations. Do you want a certificate?”

“Stiles,” Derek said, taking a step toward him.

“Yeah?” Stiles answered, looking up from his feet to look at Derek.

Stiles had probably grown all he was going to. He was still just an inch shorter than Derek and still ridiculously skinny. Derek was looking right into those amber eyes and that was probably making this harder than it should be.

“Of course I like you,” Derek said and he didn’t miss Stiles’ eyes widen or his lips curling into a smile. “But as a friend. I kissed you because it was New Year’s Eve and you were there. I didn’t know it was your first kiss, I’m sorry.”

It almost killed Derek to see Stiles’ face drop. His eyes were still wide, but now in embarrassment rather than surprised happiness. It was the right thing to say though. Stiles was 16 after all, he didn’t know what he wanted. Even if he wanted Derek, no one knew how long that would last. Derek wanted Stiles forever and Stiles could change his mind about Derek tomorrow.

“Oh,” Stiles said, still a little dumbstruck. “Oh, yeah that makes sense. And I like you too! As friends, as bros, maybe even future step-brothers… Yeah, we’re friends. Friends is good. And about the first kiss thing, don’t worry about it. I needed to get rid of it soon, so you were doing me a favor.”

He wished Stiles wasn’t such a bad liar. Obviously he had come there expecting something from Derek and Derek had let him down.

“I have to close up,” Derek said. “I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah, definitely,” Stiles nodded. “I’m coming to dinner on Friday, so I’ll see you then.”

Without another word Stiles left the store, his hands shoved in his pockets and his head bent down.

**OoOoOoO**

The first thing Derek did when he got back to the apartment after work was sit down in the armchair in front of the TV. He was about to turn the lamp on next to it when a lamp in front of him turned on to illuminate Laura sitting in the armchair opposite him. He did not jump in surprise. Not at all.

“I know you love him, Derek.”

Derek groaned, making to stand up when Laura kicked her foot out to hit Derek in the knee. He fell backwards into the chair again and all but growled at her.

“Oh, save the dramatics,” Laura said with a roll of her eyes. “And stay seated, you’re not going anywhere.”

Laura then stood up and started to pace back and forth in front of Derek. His eyes followed her as she walked. She appeared to be listing something off, using her fingers as counters. He wasn’t an idiot; there was no way in hell he was going to ask her what she was doing. He just hoped she knew that after her interrogation that he would have one of his own. It was about time that she fessed up to who she was dating.

“First of all, I would just like to say that I totally called it!” Laura said, jumping up and down and pointing in his face.

“What exactly did you call Laura?” Derek asked, not amused in the slightest.

“That you and Stiles would fall for each other,” she said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Ever since I first met you at the art store and Scott and Stiles came in you looked so concerned when you thought Stiles’ arm was broken.”

“I feel like I was more annoyed at their idiocy, to be honest.”

“But you two just had this connection,” she continued, ignoring his statement and pacing again. “It wasn’t brotherly like what you had with Scott, it was different. And then his mom died and you blamed yourself for so long and you were all filled with doom and gloom. But then Stiles forgave you and you were a big ball of sunshine… well, as much of a big ball of sunshine that you can get. Then we were at the beach and even after you slept with that red head I knew that-.”

“Laura, does this have a point?” Derek asked.

“Of course it does,” Laura said. “You love him Derek. You’re _in love_ with him and if you don’t know it already, I’m pretty sure he loves you too.”

“I kissed him.”

This was something that Laura hadn’t been expecting obviously. She stopped pacing back and forth and stopped in front of him. “Derek, you actually… Oh my God.”

She then slapped him. Because of course that was the appropriate reaction.

“What the fuck was that for?” Derek asked.

“That was for not telling me sooner!” she exclaimed. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me? Oh, wait unless you just kissed him like an hour ago or something. If that’s the case, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have slapped you.”

“It was on New Year’s Eve.”

“That was weeks ago!” Laura said. “Why are you just now telling me this?”

“I kissed him and he came by the store today to ask what it meant,” he said.

“And?”

“And I told him that it didn’t mean anything,” he shrugged.

If Laura had ever looked dumbfounded before it was nothing compared to how she looked now. “Wait, so you kissed him and you told him that it didn’t mean anything?”

“Basically.”

“But it did mean something?”

“Yes.”

“Did he not like the kiss?”

“He seemed to like it.”

“Did he act like he didn’t like you?”

“He looked kind of disappointed when I told him that it didn’t mean anything.”

He really shouldn’t have been surprised when she slapped him again.

“Were you dropped on the head when you were a baby or something?” Laura asked, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. “Is that why you’re so stupid?”

Derek took her hands off of his shoulders and stood up, looking down at her. “Laura. It’s fine.”

“No it’s not!” Laura said. “Derek, I know how much you care about him. I’ve always known how much you care about him. I see the way that you look at him like he’s everything you’ve ever wanted. I just don’t understand why you won’t let yourself have him, especially since he wants you back.”

“Because he deserves better, Laura,” he said.

“Oh no,” Laura said. “None of that self-deprecating bullshit. Not with me, don’t insult me by doing that to me, Derek.”

“Don’t insult you?” Derek repeated and he was laughing now, something cold and dark and he hated how it sounded. “You’re the one who’s insulted me, Laura. I have asked you countless times for you to tell me who this mystery guy is. I thought that you were keeping it a secret because you were embarrassed by him, but you’ve been seeing him too long for that to be the case.”

“Derek, that’s completely different-.”

“No it’s not, Laura!” he shouted and why the hell was he shouting? “You can’t just start giving me a pep talk when you’re the one who needs to come clean about something. You’re dating Chris Argent, aren’t you? That’s who it is, isn’t it?”

Derek didn’t even have to slap her to make it look like she had just been slapped. She looked absolutely shocked and partially petrified as she looked up at Derek. Her eyes then started to water and she blinked furiously, she hated when anyone saw her cry.

“I was going to tell you,” she said, looking anywhere but Derek’s face.

“When?”

“Soon.”

He gave a short laugh and he hated himself for it. It sounded like a bark, like something harsh and rude. He hated being like this and being like it in front of Laura just made matters worse.

“’Soon’ as in never, right?” he asked.

Laura didn’t have to say anything for Derek to know that that was exactly the case.

“You don’t deserve that Laura,” he said. “You don’t deserve to be hidden away. He sure as hell doesn’t deserve you. There’s only one decent person in that family and it’s not him.”

He made his way to his room and shut the door, trying to ignore how much of a hypocrite he was.

**OoOoOoO**

It was impossible to stay angry at Laura for too long. They had kept up being “mad” at each other for about a week. They had come out of their bedrooms at the same time one morning and just looked at each other before Laura was wrapping his arms around Derek’s middle and rubbing her face against his chest. Her apology was a long string of words that lasted for a few minutes while Derek just went with the classic “I’m sorry”.

Things were more or less the same with Stiles, they acted normally around each other, but Derek always picked up on little things that he did. At Friday night dinners Stiles would always want to sit next to Derek. Stiles’ eyes would linger on him a little more than necessary and if their arms or hands brushed against each other, Stiles would press firmer against Derek. They were little things and no one noticed (except for Laura who noticed everything), but Derek knew that they were there.

It was early March and the air was starting to warm up outside. Derek had just come back from an afternoon run to take a shower before heading over for Friday night dinner. He entered the apartment and was about to greet Laura when he saw Chris Argent sitting on the couch.

Chris looked at Derek and Derek looked back and a silent showdown then commenced. Derek shut the door behind him and put his hands in his pockets, strolling over to where Chris was sitting.

“Derek,” Chris said, standing up and outstretching a hand to him. “It’s nice to finally meet you officially. I’ve heard a lot about you from Laura.”

“And your sister as well, I would guess,” Derek said, taking Chris’ hand in a firm shake.

“My sister doesn’t talk about her personal affairs with me,” Chris said.

“Really?” Derek asked, his hand still clutching Chris’ hand and squeezing it for good measure.

“Yes, much like how your sister doesn’t share her private life with you.”

Derek could have made a retort about how Laura wasn’t his sister, but that would be a lie. They weren’t blood related, but he felt closer to Laura than Scott who was his own brother. Laura was older than him, but he still wanted to protect her more than anything else. She was his sister and she always would be.

He was going to make a retort about how it wasn’t good to compare Laura with Kate, but Laura was walking into the room. And of course she looked absolutely gorgeous. Her hair was down and in perfect waves. She was wearing a new dress and she it looked like she had taken the time to actually do her make-up properly instead of just doing it in the car.

“Oh look, the two men in my life arguing over me,” she said. “One looking gorgeous and the other looking… sweaty. Derek you’re really sweaty.”

“I just came back from a run,” he said. “I’m going to take a shower, so I hope you two have a good night.”

“What do you mean?” Laura asked.

“Well, you two are probably going to leave while I’m in the shower,” Derek said. “So, have a nice night.”

“Derek we’re coming to Friday night dinner,” Laura said.

“Please don’t tell me this is how you’re going to tell Allison.”

“Allison already knows,” Chris said. “We told her yesterday.”

“And you’re the second one to know,” Laura said. “Now we’re going to tell everyone and since everyone is coming to dinner tonight, we thought we would make things easier by just going.”

Derek didn’t point out how that was just going to make things more awkward. He also wasn’t going to ask how Allison had taken the news. She was going to be at dinner so he could see for himself how she was taking it.

“Well, if that’s how you want to do it,” Derek said, shrugging and then heading toward the bathroom before they could say anything else.

He took a quick shower and towel-dried his hair as he changed into some nicer clothes. He hated it when Laura was the only one dressed up at these dinners, so he had taken to wearing a button-down shirt lately. Derek grabbed his leather jacket and headed back into the apartment to see Laura covering her brownie pan with aluminum foil. This would be a normal sight to see if Chris hadn’t been standing behind her with his hands on her hips and kissing the side of her neck.

Yeah he was going to be sick.

“Ready to go?” Derek asked, checking his pockets to make sure he had his wallet and keys.

“All set,” Laura said, taking the brownie pan and smiling up at Chris. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” he said.

And maybe Chris was related to the one person in the world who he genuinely hated. And maybe he was older with a daughter his brother’s age. And maybe he had kept Laura a secret for almost a year.

But Derek couldn’t fault him for loving her. He wouldn’t even begin to fault him for that. Because Laura wasn’t perfect and she had her faults, but she was honest and beautiful and proud. And if she had chosen Chris Argent to be the person she wanted to be with, then Derek wasn’t going to judge. If he loved her and treated her right, then that was fine. He could live with that.

Everyone else didn’t have the same reaction though. When they made it to the McHale house, Derek had parked the car and practically ran up to the house. He opened the already unlocked door and made his way to the kitchen. Melissa, the Sheriff, Scott, Stiles, and Allison were already there and they all turned when he came in.

“Laura brought the boyfriend,” he said.

His mother looked excited and Allison looked anxious and everyone else just looked curious.

“It’s Chris Argent,” he warned.

Allison still looked anxious while everyone else looked slightly mortified. There wasn’t an opportunity for a real reaction because Chris and Laura entered the kitchen a few seconds afterward. Everyone put on fake smiles before eyes darted down to see Chris’ arm wrapped around Laura’s waist.

“I made brownies!” Laura said, holding up the pan and smiling at the group.

Maybe things would turn out all right eventually.

**OoOoOoO**

Eventually wasn’t going to come anytime soon though. Derek and Laura were doing their weekly grocery shopping, because neither of them had gone last week and their fridge was starting to become a little too empty.

They were in the freezer section arguing over which ice-cream to get (“Moose Tracks is the best ice-cream in the world, Derek.” “There is nothing wrong with Neapolitan.” “Everything is wrong with Neapolitan! It’s so boring.” “It has three different flavors. How is that boring?”), when Derek heard Stiles’ voice. It was something he was so used to now that he could always pick up on it. Laura had called it his “wolf senses picking up on his mate”. Derek might have scowled at her for that.

“What is it?” Laura asked, noticing that Derek had just frozen (and she used this opportunity to slip a carton of Moose Tracks into the cart).

Derek left the freezer section and went to the next aisle over where the soap and toothpaste was. Stiles’ was talking to a blonde woman and he definitely didn’t look too happy. Derek made his ways closer and he could hear Stiles’ voice getting more and more agitated. When Derek was in plain sight, Stiles’ eyes widened and he looked back up at the woman. She turned around and Derek felt his insides run cold.

“Oh wow,” Kate said, her eyes looking Derek up and down. “This one grew up in all the right places.”

“What are you doing here?” Derek asked, surprised that he could even muster up the words.

“I’m just here to visit my brother and niece,” she said, smiling at Derek. He couldn’t believe that he had actually deluded himself into thinking that he loved that smile. “I might even get to meet my brother’s new whore.”

Derek would have punched her and if judging by the face Stiles had made, he probably would have punched her as well. But it was Laura who ended up punching her. Derek wasn’t sure where she had come from, but he was happy that she came in when she did. Because Laura had held back and Derek probably wouldn’t have.

“Oh, I am so sorry,” Laura said, standing in front of Kate who was now crouching slightly on the ground. “My hand slipped. Let me help you up.”

Laura then grabbed Kate’s hand and yanked her to her feet, moving her mouth to her ear. “Listen, bitch, if you even come within a five foot radius of Derek _or_ Stiles or anyone else that I care about I will cut you. With a knife. Like a bread knife, not a butter knife.”

“Laura, that threatening whisper isn’t really working because you’re not whispering,” Stiles pointed out.

It was true. Everyone in the aisle was now looking at Laura with absolute horror. Some people had even come into the aisle to see what the commotion was about. Laura quickly backed away from Kate and smiled at the people surrounding them. “Nothing to see here, people!”

Some people backed off, but most stayed, wanting to see how everything panned out. Kate had composed herself again and was now smiling at Laura. She was taller than Laura, but Derek knew from experience that just because you were taller than Laura didn’t mean that she was intimidated by you. It most likely meant the opposite.

“Thank you so much for your concern, Laura,” Kate said. “But you know I think I won’t stay away. Because you care about my brother and my niece, so that five foot radius is just going to have to be broken.”

“Well those can be the exceptions,” Laura said. “But you should stay away from Derek.”

Kate’s eyes flickered to Derek and then to Stiles. She smirked before looking back at Laura. “I’m going to be in town for a while, so I might not be able to help myself. _This_ encounter isn’t one that I planned.”

“How long’s a while?” Laura asked.

“A few months, maybe even a year or two,” Kate shrugged. “I don’t think I can keep myself away for too long.”

Derek couldn’t listen to this anymore. He tapped Laura’s shoulder, signaling her that he was leaving. Laura nodded which he expected her to do. There was no way she was leaving without winning this fight. Derek passed them and grabbed Stiles by the elbow before steering him out of the aisle and out of the store.

“I still have to buy toothpaste,” Stiles protested as he tried to make his way back inside.

“Then go somewhere else,” Derek said, placing a hand on his chest and pushing him back.

Stiles glared at him, but didn’t try to fight him anymore. He did look down at the hand that was still pressed against his chest though. It was then that Derek realized that he was shaking. Stiles placed a hand on top of Derek’s and squeezed it reassuringly.

“Derek,” Stiles said, taking a step forward and still gripping his hand. “Hey, are you all right?”

His voice was flooded with concern and his grip was warm and firm. Derek looked at him and, God, he loved him. He loved him so fucking much that he didn’t know what to do with himself sometimes. An overwhelming need to reach out and pull the boy into his arms almost overpowered him, but Derek suppressed it. Just the pressure of Stiles’ hand against his was enough.

“I’m fine,” Derek said. “It’s just… What was she saying to you? Before I showed up what was she talking to you about? You sounded irritated.”

“Nothing,” Stiles said, shaking his head. “It’s not important. I just want to make sure you’re okay. You are okay, aren’t you?”

“Stiles, please answer my question.”

Derek rarely asked nicely. Stiles must have realized this because he nodded his head in understanding.

“I approached her and I kind of tried to defend your honor and she kind of called me your guard dog,” Stiles said, his face flushing.

“She’s a bitch,” Derek said.

“I know.”

“You shouldn’t have talked to her.”

“I know.”

“No, Stiles I don’t think you do know,” Derek said. “She’s psychotic. She’s manipulative and awful and I was such an idiot for thinking that I loved her. I was such an idiot and-.”

“Derek,” Stiles warned, squeezing Derek’s hand tighter. “You were 17 and she was a hot older woman who wanted you. I don’t think anyone’s blaming you. Yeah you were an idiot, but things could have been a lot worse. You’re only human.”

Derek probably would have kissed him if Laura hadn’t exited the store with a security guard clutching her arm. He gave her a few stern warnings before she went to stand with them.

“I defended your honor, but I’m not allowed in the store for the next six months,” she said.

“You’re my hero, Laura,” Derek said, grinning at her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“I better be,” she said. “I almost had a catfight with that bitch in there. I thought I saw some kid flashing pictures with his camera.”

“You could have been an Internet sensation,” Stiles said as they headed toward the parking lot.

Laura laughed, but the laughter ceased when her eyes focused on Derek and Stiles’ hands. Derek hadn’t even realized that he was still holding his hand; it had just felt so natural. He took his hand back though and gave a meaningful look to Laura. He would tell her about it later.

**OoOoOoO**

Derek had finished his first official year of grad school, but high school still had two months until they were out of school. It was the beginning of April and with that came spring sports. He had never had a reason to care about spring sports before until Friday night dinner when Stiles and Allison both said that they were on the track team. There was a meet on Saturday and they were inviting everyone to come along.

So, everyone (Melissa, the Sheriff, Laura, Chris, Derek, and Scott) went to go see them run at the school Saturday morning. And of course Kate decided to come along as well. She sat a ways away from the group, but that didn’t stop her from looking over at them from time to time.

“She makes me uncomfortable,” Scott said, sitting down next to Derek. “She keeps saying that I have the ‘most adorable brown eyes’. I think I remember her saying that forever ago. Back when you two were still together.”

“She probably did,” Derek said, staring at where all of the runners were warming up. He did not want to think about Kate or look at Kate or talk to Kate and do anything that involved Kate. “Just stay away from her, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” Scott nodded.

Derek then noticed the giant sign that Scott had clutched in his hands. In big purple letters on one side it said “GO ALLISON!” and on the other side in big red letters it read “GO STILES!”.

“Saving paper?” Derek said, motioning toward the sign.

“Huh? Oh, yeah,” Scott said. “When the girls are racing I’ll hold up the Allison side and when the guys are racing I’ll hold up the Stiles side.”

“Smart,” Derek said, looking back at the runners.

Since he didn’t look back at Scott he missed the comically surprised look on his face. He could hear the surprise in his voice though.

“Dude, you just called me smart,” he said.

“No, I said your idea was smart,” Derek said.

“No one’s ever called me smart before.”

“I didn’t call you smart.”

“But you said that something that I did was smart.”

“Yes,” Derek said, now talking through gritted teeth. “It was a very smart idea, congratulations.”

He glanced over at Scott who was now giving him his trademark dopey smile. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Derek said.

There was a bit of commotion on the field as the girls made their way forward to start racing. Derek spotted Allison toward the back, still lingering with the rest of the runners. She was talking to Stiles who was still wearing his tracksuit. They talked for a bit and then he hugged her.

Derek didn’t know why he got so agitated at that. That was Allison, one of Stiles’ friends, Scott’s girlfriend, and a person who he actually tolerated. It was obviously just a friendly “good luck” hug. He really needed to start controlling himself.

“Oh my God,” Scott said next to him.

“What?” Derek asked, taking his thoughts away from Stiles and Allison.

“Allison’s number is 11,” Scott said, turning to face Derek and smiling. “That’s my lacrosse number!”

Of course it was.

“Go Allison!” Scott shouted, holding up the Allison side of his sign. “That’s my girlfriend!”

Allison looked in the direction of the shouting and smiled and waved. Derek had to give her credit. Scott was the only one with a sign so all attention was currently on her and Scott. The runners got into position and when the referee called marks, they were off. It was the 400 meter dash so it lasted just over a minute. Allison finished in third with a time of 60 seconds.

“It’s okay, you’ll get ‘em next time!” Scott shouted, still waving the Allison sign around.

“She came in third,” Derek said. “That’s good.”

“Allison likes to win,” Scott said. “If we had an archery team she would be getting gold medals every event. She’s actually on the waiting list for the Olympics.”

“Seriously?” Derek asked.

“Yeah, I forgot what she’s ranked, but if three women drop out of the Team USA archery team then she’s going to London this summer.”

“Wow,” Derek said, because that was all that he could muster. Scott was dating an Olympic-ranked archer. He better not break her heart.

“She’s amazing,” Scott said, smiling dreamily.

The Amazing Allison walked over to them, smiling at Scott. She leaned across the railing and kissed him. “Thanks for the support.”

“You’re always at my lacrosse games,” Scott said. “So, y’know, I thought I’d return the favor. You were amazing out there.”

“Not amazing enough though,” she sighed, looking at where a group of runners were huddled around the first place winner from another school.

“Still amazing,” Scott persisted.

She smiled sweetly at him before looking over to where the boy runners were lining up for the 400 meters. Stiles was among the group and Derek might have let his eyes linger a little too long at Stiles in his running uniform. And by linger he meant stare. Stiles had gone from a skinny, being practically skin and bones, to long lean muscles. Yeah, he was definitely staring.

“So, uh, is Stiles any good?” Scott asked Allison.

“Well, you’re about to see,” Allison said.

“Yeah, but just tell me if he’s going to be in last place or not,” Scott said.

“You’ll see,” Allison said in a singsong voice.

Scott groaned as he looked worriedly at his best friend. Stiles was jumping up and down and looking completely unfocused. He was twitchy and didn’t seem to be able to calm down. Next to Derek, Scott flipped his sign to the Stiles side and held it in the air.

“Go Stiles!” he shouted, waving it around with just as much enthusiasm as he did for Allison. “That’s my best friend!”

Stiles looked over at Scott and he gave Allison and his best friend a nervous smile. His eyes then rested on Derek. Derek nodded and gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Stiles’ entire face lit up and he gave Derek a thumbs up. A thumbs up, really? People still did those things?

Moments later the race was starting and the runners were off. Stiles stayed mostly toward the center of the pack for the majority of the race. It wasn’t until the home stretch where he sped up. He was passing up most of the runners until there was just one in front of him. Right at the last second, using a final burst of speed, Stiles passed the runner and crossed the finish line.

It was safe to say that Derek wasn’t sure he was going to have his hearing anymore with Scott jumping up and down and yelling. “That’s my best friend! That’s my best friend and he just beat all of your asses!”

The group of Beacon Hills runners all patted Stiles on the back as he made his way through the crowd and toward the bleachers. He allowed himself to be hugged by Allison (and Derek didn’t feel frustrated by it at all) and then suffered the abuse of Scott clinging to him from across the fence and shouting in his ear.

“Dude, that was AWESOME!” Scott yelled. “You just came out of NOWHERE. You were like a ninja! A running ninja! You were so FAST!”

“Thanks, man,” Stiles said, patting Scott on the back and looking at Allison for help.

Allison laughed and pried her boyfriend off of Stiles. “Let’s go get you something from the concession stand.”

She steered Scott away, but not before smiling and winking at Derek. Of course she knew. Laura had probably told her. Or she had figured it out by herself. Both possibilities made sense.

“Good run,” Derek said, leaning against the fence.

“Thanks,” Stiles said. “I didn’t know you were going to be here.”

“The entire group is here,” Derek said, pointing behind him where everyone else was sitting.

“Yeah, but I didn’t think you would come,” Stiles said.

“Well, I’m here, aren’t I?”

Stiles smiled and nodded his head. He looked like he was about to say something else, but he was then dragged away by his teammates. He gave Derek an apologetic look, but Derek just nodded at him.

“He’s adorable.”

And of course it was Kate.

“A little young though,” she said, leaning against the fence next to him and smiling at him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

“Of course you don’t,” she nodded, looking almost sympathetic. She patted his arm and Derek flinched away from her touch. “I just hope you know what you’re doing, Derek.”

And then she was gone. Derek didn’t watch her leave, but he did look up in the stands. Laura was glaring as she watched her leave while Chris had a firm hand on Laura’s shoulder. Derek knew that Kate would get was coming to her and it probably wouldn’t even be him who took care of it.

**OoOoOoO**

Derek attended all of the high school track meets with Scott and his reversible sign. Allison worked her way up the ranks until she came in first place for every race. Stiles, on the other hand, got nothing less than first place. It seemed like such a weird thing for the student body of Beacon Hills High to accept. Stiles’ was the permanent benchwarmer of the lacrosse team, but the star of track and field.

Stiles himself didn’t appear to know what he should do with all of the extra attention. He was flattered by it, but when a big group of people would tell him congratulations he would always shy away. That was probably the strangest thing: Stiles being shy. He was usually so loud and open, but when confronted with so much attention, he was shy.

He was always happy to see Scott and Derek after a race though. He usually tried to make it to them first so that less people would come up to him. Scott would rant about how awesome he was and Stiles would just nod his head along. Derek would go for a simpler approach by giving him congratulation. Stiles would always break out into a big smile at that and for some reason that was better than seeing him win the race. Just seeing him smile like that was more than enough for Derek.

With track ending came an end to the school year as well. Scott and Stiles were buzzing with excitement the first couple of weeks of summer. They were going to be seniors next year and it seemed to be all they talked about for the longest time.

Derek had seen Stiles at a steady pace throughout the first month of the summer and because of that he was able to see the progress of something. The progress of Stiles growing his hair out. At first it had just been “long” enough for Stiles to get it buzzed again, but he didn’t get it buzzed. Then it went through this weird spiky stage that was more bad than good. But now it was longer (still short, but long for Stiles) and just enough hair for Derek to run his fingers through, to hold on to, to- he really needed to stop thinking about that.

Stiles and Scott were at the apartment because they claimed that is was more private. Derek couldn’t see how any place that Laura lived in could be private. He didn’t mention this though and Laura was out with Chris anyway.

The pair was currently using Derek’s Wi-Fi (that Laura’s rich uncle had paid for) and his cable (that Laura’s rich uncle had paid for) and eating his food (that Laura had paid for). Apparently the summer before their senior year had turned them into lazy moochers. Scratch that, they had always been lazy moochers.

“I’ve gotta take a dump,” Scott said after they had watched almost the entirety of the first season of _Breaking Bad_.

“Thanks for sharing,” Derek said as Scott made his way toward the bathroom.

Scott had been sitting on the couch with Stiles while Derek had taken one of the armchairs. He looked over at Stiles to see him checking his phone.

“Who’s texting you?” Derek asked.

“Lydia,” Stiles said. “She wants to hang out tomorrow.”

Derek didn’t even have to look in a mirror to know that his face was probably in a scowl. He couldn’t help it though. At the mention of that girl’s name a bitter taste just filled his mouth. He had never even met her and he already knew that he didn’t like her.

“What are you two doing?” Derek asked, practically gritting out the words.

“She says she needs to take me shopping for new clothes,” Stiles said, rolling his eyes and looking up at Derek. “Something about needing a new wardrobe for my new hair. I’m pretty iffy on the details.”

That definitely didn’t sound like any kind of romantic date. Derek still wanted to make sure though. He got up from his armchair and sat down on the cushion right next to Stiles’.

“So, it’s not a date?” he asked.

“A date? Yeah, right!” Stiles laughed. “She’s still with Jackson and I’m… I’m over her. I mean, I’m _seriously_ over Lydia Martin. She’s still smart and beautiful and terrifying, but I’m over her.”

Derek wasn’t so sure about that. Stiles seemed to be telling the truth, but he had loved Lydia for practically 10 years and a love like that wasn’t going to just go away.

“Well, good for you,” Derek nodded. “And your hair does look good like that.”

“Yeah?” Stiles asked, tilting his head to the side as his mouth twitched up in a grin.

“Are you planning on growing it out again?” Derek asked. “Making yourself look like a sheepdog?”

“That was the style back then.”

“I don’t think that was ever the style in any time period.”

“Well maybe I will grow it out again,” Stiles said, grinning smugly at him.

“You shouldn’t,” Derek said, leaning toward Stiles. “I like it like this.”

Derek brought up a hand to Stiles’ hair, running the tips of his fingers through the softness. Stiles’ breath hitched and Derek’s eyes instantly darted to him. He really needed to assess how close he was sitting to Stiles before it was too late. Derek could practically count his eyelashes, and he would have if Stiles hadn’t been focusing on his lips. And, fuck, if that was what Stiles wanted then who was he to-?

“All right, I am ready for the next episode!”

Stiles and Derek recoiled from each other as soon as they heard the first syllable of Scott’s voice. Stiles was practically sitting on the armrest of the couch while Derek moved a cushion over.

“Hey, Derek, why’d you take my seat?” Scott asked, sitting in the armchair.

“Better view of the TV,” Derek said.

Scott nodded slowly, his eyes darting from Derek to Stiles and back again. “If you say so.”

**OoOoOoO**

It was a Wednesday morning in the middle of the summer and Derek wasn’t scheduled to work. Normally people would use this opportunity to sleep in, but Derek decided to get up early to go for a run. He got out of bed, changed into a wife beater and a pair of shorts before going to knock on Laura’s door.

“Laura?” he said, cracking the door open.

He peeked inside her room only to realize that she wasn’t in there. She must have spent the night at Chris’ place. He wondered what Allison thought about that. Allison hadn’t exactly been too excited about Laura dating her father, but since she was already good friends with Laura the hostility went away quickly. They were still close, but it felt like a barrier had gone up between them. Especially since Kate was still in town. According to Laura she was set to leave in about a week, but that still made Derek feel uneasy. He hated her being in the same town as him, in the same town as Stiles.

Shaking all thoughts of Kate from his head, Derek left a note for Laura in case she got home early (highly unlikely) to an empty apartment. He locked the door and shoved his keys in the pocket of his shorts before taking the elevator down to the lobby. Once out of the building he started to jog down the streets and toward the more suburban part of town. Even though Beacon Hills was a small town it was still pretty crowded in the main city area. The suburbs were the ideal place for running this early in the morning since people were either at work or still in bed.

After about ten minutes of jogging, he finally made his way to the entrance of the neighborhood where the McHale house was. He broke out into a run then as he passed house after house. Usually he went out to the woods to run, but Laura would kill him if she found out. Apparently there was a mountain lion on the prowl and the woods weren’t safe. It was probably the stupidest thing he had ever heard since there were always mountain lions on the prowl, but if it made Laura feel at ease, he would stay away.

He took a turn onto a different street and spotted another runner up ahead. Derek was normally the only one out running, but apparently someone else had taken up the hobby. The closer they got to each other, the better Derek could see the other runner. He figured out that it was Stiles when it started to rain. It wasn’t a heavy rain, just a few droplets hitting his skin at different intervals.

Derek slowed down just as Stiles approached him, slowing down to a jog and then stopping in front of Derek.

“You didn’t check the weather this morning either?” Stiles asked in greeting as he looked up at the sky.

More rain droplets were falling from the sky, more frequently than before. “It hadn’t really crossed my mind.”

“Yeah, same here,” Stiles said, looking from the sky to Derek.

Stiles’ cheeks were flushed from running and Derek realized that they were on the street of the Stilinski house. He had probably just been finishing up his run.

“What time did you get up this morning?” Derek asked.

“Around 4:30,” Stiles said. “I got my Adderall schedule messed up and I couldn’t sleep. I’m ready to pass out now.”

The rain was starting to really come down now. It was like the sky had just opened up and released all of the water it had been holding in. Stiles and Derek just squinted at each other through the rain until Stiles started laughing.

“Dude, we seriously should check the weather before we go out!” Stiles shouted.

“No shit, Sherlock!” Derek shouted back.

“My house is just a block away!” Stiles said, pointing up ahead.

Derek nodded and the pair sprinted down the street. Stiles made it first, digging in the pocket of his shorts to get his house keys. He jammed the right key into the lock, twisted it, and opened the door. Derek followed him into the kitchen, shaking his head to get excess water from his hair.

“What are you, a dog?” Stiles asked as Derek continued to shake out his hair.

“Part wolf, actually.”

Stiles gaped at him before he broke out into a huge grin. “Derek can joke. Who knew?”

Derek nudged him in the shoulder and Stiles stumbled slightly, still laughing. Stiles went to the counter and opened one of the drawers, taking two dishtowels from it. He tossed one to Derek and used the other one to dry his hair. Derek caught the dishtowel, but didn’t use it to dry off since he was much too distracted by what was in front of him.

Stiles was busy drying his hair, so he didn’t notice as Derek’s eyes zoomed in on his torso. He was wearing a white V-neck t-shirt which barely left anything to the imagination since it was soaking wet. Water droplets were sliding down his arms and collarbone, collecting on the collar of the t-shirt. The wet fabric clung to his chest and… shit, were those abs? They weren’t as defined as Derek’s, but they were definitely there.

That wasn’t even the worst part though. The worst part was that Stiles’ nipples were hard, clearly visible through the fabric and practically inviting Derek to them. He wanted nothing more than to slide that wet shirt up Stiles’ body, just enough to reveal those little nubs and to wrap his mouth around one and _suck_. He wanted to trace the lines of Stiles’ abdomen with his tongue, to nip little marks on his hips, to bruise those nipples with his mouth and fingers until Stiles was a complete mess, hard and begging for-.

“Hey man, you okay?” Stiles asked, breaking Derek out of his fantasy.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Derek said, looking back up to Stiles’ face.

Stiles nodded, a smug smile on his face and did he-? Yeah, Stiles knew exactly what Derek had been staring at. Well, two could play at that game. Derek grabbed the bottom of his wife beater and then pulled it over his head, arching his back just a little as he took it off. He placed the sopping shirt on the counter before running a hand through his damp hair. His eyes flickered to Stiles whose own eyes were currently glued to Derek’s back.

“What?” Derek asked.

“Oh, nothing,” Stiles shrugged, looking at Derek. “I just forgot you had a tattoo.”

“How could you forget?” Derek asked. “You were there when I got it.”

“I haven’t seen it in a while,” Stiles shrugged. “The last time I saw it was at the beach last year.”

Derek nodded, remembering the beach. Back when he was still in denial and trying to convince himself that he didn’t really want Stiles. He hadn’t even touched anyone since that red-head other than kissing Stiles on New Year’s Eve.

It was torture waiting for Stiles’ 18th birthday, but it was less than a year away. The thought of his 18th birthday brought a memory back to him, something he hadn’t thought about in a while.

“Are you still getting a tattoo when you turn 18?” Derek asked.

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded, no hesitance at all in his voice. “I’ve still got the sketch that my mom made me.”

Derek remembered. He had been coming into work and Stiles, Aria, and Laura had been huddled around a sketchbook in the back of the art store.

“Do you still want me to take you?” Derek asked.

“What?” Stiles asked, his face turning red as he looked at Derek, obviously taking the question into a different context.

It was hard to contain his smirk. “To get your tattoo.”

“Oh, getting my tattoo, right,” Stiles nodded. “Yeah, yeah I’d like that.”

“Where are you going to get it?” Derek asked.

“At a nicer place than where you got yours, that’s for sure,” Stiles snorted.

Well that was good since Derek hadn’t gone to the nicest place, but that wasn’t what he meant.

“Where are you getting the tattoo on your body?” Derek clarified.

“Uh, I was thinking my back,” Stiles said, scratching the back of his neck. “Not in the center where you got yours and not really low like a tramp stamp, but maybe to the side somewhere. I’m not entirely sure. I still have until April to think about it and- what are you doing?”

Derek had taken a few steps forward while Stiles had been rambling. He reached around Stiles and slipped his hand under the fabric of the wet t-shirt, right under the collar. Derek slid his hand across the damp skin until his palm was resting on the back of Stiles’ left shoulder.

“What about right there?” he suggested, his thumb resting on one of the many moles scattered across Stiles’ skin.

“Huh,” Stiles said, apparently incapable of making any other noises.

“It’d look good there, whatever it is you’re going to get.”

“Yeah, that seems like a good spot,” Stiles said, nodding his head frantically.

Derek looked at Stiles whose eyes were wide and mouth was parted, and _God_ this kid was going to be the death of him. The sounds of someone coming down the stairs greeted them and Derek took his hand out from under Stiles’ shirt.

“Stiles are you already up?” the Sheriff asked as he walked into the kitchen. He stopped when he saw Derek who was now wringing his wife beater out in the sink. “Derek, what are you doing here?”

“I was out running and I met up with Derek when it started to rain,” Stiles explained. “We were already on our street so and I invited him inside.”

The Sheriff nodded before slapping Derek on the back in greeting. “So, what’s for breakfast?”

“I should go,” Derek said before Stiles could rattle off the breakfast menu. “It’s already stopped raining.”

“Derek, you’re more than welcome to stay,” the Sheriff said.

“Yeah, it’s not every day we have breakfast guests,” Stiles said. “And by ‘not every day’ I mean never.”

Derek looked from the Sheriff’s welcoming smile to Stiles’ hopeful grin.

“I know how to make a badass, but heart-healthy omelet,” Stiles said.

And how could Derek say no to that?

**OoOoOoO**

Derek didn’t need to check the weather when he went out running, because Stiles would do it for him. The Sheriff had been the one to propose that they run together in the mornings after their breakfast a few weeks ago. Stiles was trying to keep in shape over the summer for lacrosse and track, and Derek just liked running. It was a good idea, so they started running together. The runs would always end at the Stilinski house where the Sheriff was just waking up and Stiles would make breakfast. It was nice, it was a routine.

“Sunny all day,” Stiles said, his voice coming out through Derek’s cellphone. “I checked three different websites to be sure.”

“Good,” Derek said, locking the door to the apartment. “I’ll meet you at the entrance of the preserve.”

“The preserve?” Stiles asked. “Isn’t there a rabid mountain lion on the loose?”

“There are always mountain lions on the loose in the preserve,” Derek said, wondering if Stiles could hear his eyes roll. “There was a rabid one that attacked a hunter, but it was found already.”

“All right,” Stiles said. “Then I’ll meet you there.”

Apparently that was code for “goodbye” because Stiles hung up after that. Derek left the apartment building and made his way across town (which really just took ten minutes tops) to the preserve. Stiles was already there when he arrived, leaning on the preserve sign and looking nervously at the dark mass of trees.

“Scared?” Derek asked, approaching him.

“No,” Stiles said.

“Of course you’re not,” Derek teased, walking around the sign and into the forest. “Just remember that there’s a path, you’re not going to get lost and no mountain lions are going to rip your face off.”

“You’re terrible at comforting people,” Stiles said, following him.

Derek responded by running down the path, away from Stiles. He grinned when he heard Stiles behind him, catching up to him. Stiles was faster than Derek, but Derek had better stamina. They evened each other out pretty well and when they were tired of running they would just walk back to the Stilinski house.

Today wasn’t any different. They switched between running and jogging (with Stiles running ahead of Derek several times only to turn around and run backwards to taunt Derek about how slow he was. Justice was served when Stiles tripped over a tree root.). Eventually they both just slowed down at a walk. They were side-by-side, shoulders brushing occasionally.

“It’s nice out here,” Stiles said. “Peaceful.”

“Just wait for the crazed mountain lion to show up.”

“I think I liked you better when you weren’t making jokes.”

Derek bumped his shoulder against Stiles and he went stumbling to the side. He glared at Derek before ramming against his side, trying to get him to stumble as well. Derek just stood there, feet practically cemented to the forest floor.

“What are you, made of marble?” Stiles asked, now using his hands to shove at his shoulder.

A retort was on the tip of Derek’s tongue when Stiles stopped shoving. Derek looked at him to see Stiles squinting at something in the distance. Without another word, Stiles jogged forward to whatever he had seen. Derek sighed and followed after him. He caught up with Stiles who was standing at the end of a gravel road.

“It’s a driveway,” Derek said, looking up at the driveway that winded up a hill.

“Someone lives up there?” Stiles asked.

“No, but there is a house up there,” Derek said. “I’ve never seen it, but- what are you doing?”

“I’m going to go check it out.”

“Stiles, this is private property.”

“Yeah, and my dad’s the Sheriff,” Stiles shrugged. “If we get caught we’ll get a warning.”

That was the end of that conversation. Stiles started to walk up the driveway and Derek had no choice but to follow him. It took them a few minutes to make it all the way to the end. When it ended there was a small clearing with a three-story house sitting in the front.

“Whoa,” Stiles said, stopping at the end of the driveway to look at it. “This place is awesome.”

Awesome was one word for it. Beautiful was another. All four walls were intact, but other than that it looked worse for wear. The house probably hadn’t been lived in over 20 years. Ivy was crawling up the side of it and the wood of the front porch looked old and rotten. Windows were cracked or completely smashed in and the remains of a flower bed were now just a tangle of weeds.

Stiles was the first one to walk toward it. He cautiously walked onto the porch and placed his hand on the doorknob.

“Stiles,” Derek warned, walking after him.

“I’m just going to stay on the first floor,” Stiles said. “There’s no way I’m going up any stairs.”

Derek followed Stiles into the house. There was a grand staircase right in the center with a sitting room to the right. The only furniture in there was an old couch and Stiles sat on it, looking around the old room.

“This was probably the nicest house ever,” Stiles said.

“Definitely,” Derek said, joining Stiles on the couch. “It’s pretty much a mix of Second Empire and Victorian. It’s definitely not a mansion, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a Manor House. It’s on a lot of land and the driveway itself is long enough to keep it secluded. I’m guessing it was built in mid-19th century, judging by the- why are you staring at me?”

Stiles’ mouth was gaping open and he was blinking his big eyes repeatedly. He came out of his daze though to grin at Derek. “I just love it when you talk architecture to me.”

Derek rolled his eyes, looking away. It was hard for Derek not to feel like a kid in a candy shop in this house. It was amazing and he was itching to get a look upstairs.

“No, seriously, you’re amazing,” Stiles said, placing a hand on Derek’s shoulder. “I was going to say it looked like the house from _The Notebook,_ but your description was a lot better.”

“ _The Notebook_?” Derek asked.

“Lydia forced me to watch it,” Stiles shrugged. “Apparently Jackson is getting better at avoiding her whenever _The Notebook_ is involved.”

“Since when are you two so close?” Derek asked, trying to suppress a wave of jealously.

“Well, she’s kind of appointed me as her gay BFF,” Stiles said. “Except I’m not exactly…”

“You’re not gay,” Derek finished for him.

“I thought I was,” Stiles said. “Well, first I thought I was straight, but then I thought I was bi. And I was okay with thinking I was bi, but then I thought I was just completely gay. But I’m still attracted to Lydia, but I’m not bi. Like, I can see people’s hotness, but just because they’re hot doesn’t mean I wanna, y’know, get all up in that. I have to know somebody before I start wanting to… get all up in that.”

Stiles visibly flinched when he finished. Apparently that wasn’t the way he wanted to end that. Derek understood was he was saying though and even had a solution for him. When he had been figuring out his own sexuality he had come across a few new terms and one was fitting Stiles’ situation to a T.

“Sounds like you’re demisexual,” Derek said.

“What’s that?”

“It’s when a person doesn’t experience sexual attraction to someone unless they form a strong emotional connection with a person,” Derek said, basically reciting the exact definition that he had come across.

“Wow, I didn’t know there was actually a word for that,” Stiles said. “That makes sense though. I’ve known Lydia forever even though we only started talking a few years ago. But if she still looked the same way and acted completely different I probably wouldn’t find her attractive. The same thing goes for-.”

He cut himself off and quickly looked toward the opposite side of the room. Derek knew what he was going to say, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to hear it.

“Goes for whom?” Derek asked, placing a hand on the back of Stiles’ neck and turning his head back toward Derek.

“You already know,” Stiles said.

“Tell me anyway.”

“Why do you always do this?” Stiles asked. “You already know what I was going to say, but you just want to hear me say it. Well, guess what? I’m not going to say it.”

Derek nodded, taking his hand from Stiles’ neck. If he didn’t want to tell him, then he wouldn’t tell him. They both knew what the elephant in the room was, but they were in no rush to talk about it.

“We should fix this place up,” Stiles said. “Obviously not just the two of us, but you could map it out and I could put in input.”

“I think we would need a license for that,” Derek said. “It’s not our house.”

“Yeah, but my dad could probably look up who it belongs to,” Stiles said. “We could convince them to hire you as the architect!”

Derek would have told him that it was a terrible idea if Stiles hadn’t looked so excited about it.

“Think about it,” Stiles continued. “You could sketch out the entire thing and redraw the rooms and talk about foundations and whatever architects do. The house gets fixed up and you can use it as an example of your work. Dude, this would be awesome for you.”

He couldn’t complain with him. It would basically be a dream project and it would do wonders for his career.

“Think about it?” Stiles asked.

“I don’t know, Stiles,” Derek said, looking around the room already feeling the need to sit down and start sketching out a basic floor plan.

“For me?”

Derek really needed to get better at saying no to him.

**OoOoOoO**

They had headed out of the preserve and back to the Stilinski house after that. Both of them refrained from mentioning the house during breakfast, but Stiles kept grinning at Derek throughout the entire meal.

When Derek arrived back at the apartment he took a quick shower and then headed to the living area. He sat down on the couch with a sketchbook and a drafting pencil, flipping to a new page and then starting to sketch from memory. It was at this point that Laura came out of her room. She mumbled a “good morning” before making her way to the kitchen to make coffee.

He was trying to remember exactly where the fireplace was in the sitting room when Laura sat down next to him, tucking her feet under his thighs and leaning toward the sketchbook. “You’re sketching.”

“Yeah.”

“It’s been a while,” she said and Derek could hear the fondness in her voice.

“Stiles and I checked out that old house in the preserve,” Derek said. “We might track down the owner and ask if we can rebuild it from them. I am a licensed architect and it would be a good opportunity.”

He glanced over at Laura who was looking at him like he had grown a second head.

“Yes, Laura we went into the preserve,” Derek sighed. “And no, we didn’t get mauled to death by a mountain lion.”

“You want to fix up that old house?” she asked.

“Uh, yeah,” Derek said. “We need to contact the owner though and the chances of them agreeing are- who are you calling?”

“The owner.”

Now it was Derek’s turn to look at Laura like she had lost her mind. She was calmly holding the phone up to her ear. Whoever she was calling picked up after a few rings and Laura’s face instantly lit up.

“Uncle Peter, hi!” she greeted. “I know I haven’t called in ages, and yes, yes that ‘middle-aged’ man who is also the same age as you is still defiling me. I know, right, it’s so awful. Anyway, I’m calling about the old house in the preserve. The old family house, right. Well, my friend Derek, yes the angry-looking one that I’m living with, is an architect and he was thinking of fixing it up for you.”

Laura then continued to nod and let out the occasional “mhm”. After a few minutes of that she held out the phone to Derek. “He wants to talk to you.”

Derek took the phone from her and held it to his ear. “Hello?”

“Hi Derek, I’m Laura’s uncle, Peter,” Peter said from the other line. “I would love for you to fix up the old family house for me. I can pay for all renovations and I’ll pay you as well. I don’t care what you do with it; just make sure it’s sellable. I’ve been trying to sell it for years and you’re really helping me out here. Just call if you need anything. Oh, and tell that Chris Argent to stop feeling up my niece.”

Peter then promptly hung up the phone. Derek pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it skeptically. “I think that was a yes.”

“Did he rattle off a whole bunch of stuff about how he wants to sell it and he doesn’t care what you do to it and how he’ll pay for everything?”

“Basically.”

“Then that was a yes!” Laura said, taking her phone back and heading toward the bathroom. “Call Stiles and tell him to meet us over there.”

“Why?” Derek asked.

“You’re going to start doing your architect thing,” Laura said. “I’m going to get some guys over there to start cleaning up debris. I’ll call someone to survey the land too.”

“Laura, there’s no need to rush-.”

“Oh yes there is,” Laura said. “If my uncle gives you a job he expects it to get done. He’s probably just going to give us a month on the house, so there’s no time to lose.”

“It’s going to take a lot longer than a month.”

“It will if you don’t call Stiles and get your ass over to that house,” Laura said. “C’mon, time’s a wastin’!”

She then started to clap her hands at him as if that would get him to move faster. And of course it actually did. Five minutes later he was in his Camaro with two new sketchbooks and an entire pack of drafting pencils in the seat next to him. He didn’t call Stiles, but instead drove to his house. Derek parked on the street and was about to get out of the car when Stiles came out of the house. Stiles opened the door to the passenger’s side and moved Derek’s sketchbooks and pencils before sliding inside.

“I asked my dad about the house and I’m guessing you already know who owns it,” Stiles said, practically buzzing with excitement.

“Laura called her uncle and he gave us the okay,” Derek said. “We have one month and we’re starting today.”

“Wait, one month?” Stiles asked. “Do you think we can finish it in one month?”

“No,” Derek said, starting the car and driving down the street. “But we’re going to have to.”

“Why?”

“Apparently he wants to be able to sell it as soon as possible,” Derek shrugged. “I’m not sure what that means, but according to Laura we need this done in a month.”

“Well, school starts in three weeks, so after three weeks I won’t be able to stay the entire day,” Stiles said.

If Derek wasn’t giving his full attention to the road in front of him he would have turned to stare at Stiles. The way he was talking made it seem like he was going to be spending all of his time at the house.

“Stiles,” Derek said. “We’re going to be working from morning to night, every day. You don’t need to spend all of your time over here.”

“I want to,” Stiles said, sounding so completely and utterly sure.

Derek pulled onto the preserve’s driving track. The house was probably about a 15 minute drive in judging by how long it had taken to walk/run there that morning. Derek glanced over at Stiles who was watching him, awaiting an answer.

“It’s going to be boring,” Derek said. “I’m not sure what the entire plan is, but I’ll be working for a lot of it and I kind of need silence to work.”

“Believe it or not, Derek, but I can keep my mouth shut when I want to.”

“I’m just going to be sitting and drawing for hours at a time though,” Derek said. “I’ll probably walk around the house some, but that’s all the excitement you’re going to get.”

“I don’t care,” Stiles said. “I like spending time with you. No matter what we’re doing, I always like spending time with you. And I can also do my summer English homework.”

Part of him wanted to smile while the other part was beyond skeptical. Even if Stiles did like spending time with him (which was great), just being in a quiet room with Derek hours at a time wouldn’t be that exciting no matter how you looked at it.

“What about Scott?” Derek asked.

“He’s busy with lacrosse practice all summer,” Stiles shrugged. “He’s co-captain and he’s getting all buddy-buddy with Isaac Lahey.”

That name seemed familiar. “Wasn’t Lahey the kid who moved in with his aunt because his dad was hitting him?”

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded. “I’m happy he’s out of that house, my dad said that Mr. Lahey locked Isaac in an old freezer to punish him.”

“So, are you jealous that Scott’s spending time with him?”

“No,” Stiles said, shaking his head and then nodding slightly. “Maybe? Scott got him a job at the vet clinic and he didn’t do that for me. I mean, I like my job at the bookstore, but it’d be cool to hang out with Scott more. He’s so busy with lacrosse and Allison that I barely see him.”

“But you’re on the lacrosse team too.”

“Uh, you didn’t hear about that?” Stiles asked. “I quit.”

Derek turned onto the gravel driveway of the Hale house. “I thought you loved lacrosse.”

“I do,” Stiles said. “It’s just that I’d rather be sitting in the stands and cheering on my best friend than sitting on the bench. I love track too and I’m actually good at that, so… This just works for me.”

Derek didn’t say anymore as he came to the end of the driveway. He entered the clearing in front of the house to see three trunks, a dumpster, and Laura’s car.

“She’s doesn’t waste any time, does she?” Stiles asked, getting out of the Camaro after Derek parked it.

“No she does not,” Derek said, walking toward Laura who was talking to a group of men in front of the house.

She saw them and raised her pointer finger before turning back to the group. After a minute of talking they all nodded and headed into the house.

“You’re late,” Laura said, approaching Derek and Stiles.

“You didn’t give me a time,” Derek said.

“I know I didn’t,” she shrugged. “But you’re going to be late every day until this house is on time to be finished in a month.”

“And how exactly do you propose we do that?” Stiles asked, looking up at the house.

“I have a list,” Laura said, taking out a notebook from her purse and flipping it open to the front page. “First we’re clearing the house of all its debris. The landscapers start working tomorrow and they’re going to start from the outside in. This house is on a huge chunk of land, so they’re going to start right on the edge of the land. They’ll plant flowers and trees, and I kind of want a fish pond in the backyard.

“Anyway, back to the house, after all of the debris is out we’ll get builders in to secure the foundation, walls, floor, and roof. When they start working on the walls, you’re going to need your floor plan done by then, Derek. Then we’ll install new windows, a decent gutter system, and stain the wood on the outside. I’m thinking cherry, that’ll look good. Electric after that. Then someone will pave that driveway. After all of that is done, we bring the secret weapon in.”

“Secret weapon?” Derek asked.

“The interior designer,” Laura said. “Her name’s Lydia Martin. She got an early admission to MIT, but that girl knows her color swatches and carpet samples. She’s deciding on the sinks and showers and everything, so the plumbing will happen after that.”

In about a month Derek would finally meet Lydia Martin. Stiles claimed to be over her, but Derek was still skeptical. He talked about her like she hung every star in the sky. Stiles had even fessed up to Derek a year ago and told him that he named a star after Lydia for her birthday.

“Lydia’s going to be here?” Stiles asked. “That’s awesome!”

“Laura,” Derek said. “You sound like you know what you’re doing, but it’s going to be almost impossible for you to finish this house in a month.”

“Watch me.”

And without another word Laura was turning on her heel and making her way back to the house. She stopped and turned around halfway. “Do you think we need a garage?”

“That would help to sell it,” Derek said.

“Make it a two car garage,” Stiles said.

Laura nodded and then scribbled something down in her notebook before taking her phone out and dialing a number.

“So, what’s first?” Stiles asked, turning to Derek.

“First we should probably tour the house to see how many rooms there are,” Derek said.

“Lead the way.”

**OoOoOoO**

“There’s no way you’re finishing that house in one month,” Melissa said, looking down at the floor plans.

“Don’t tell Laura that,” Derek said. “We’re only a week in and she thinks we’re right on schedule.”

“Well, I’d love to see her scheduling process,” Melissa said. “This place is going to be huge.”

It was a much quieter Friday night dinner since it was just the two of them. Everyone was busy with work or had other plans, but it was nice to be in the house with just two people. Melissa had made chicken fried rice that was just enough for them and they had eaten in the living room, the floor plans scattered across the coffee table.

The house had three floors and a basement. It was beyond big, but Derek had gotten a decent idea of what he wanted. Actually it was more than decent since Laura would accept nothing but the best. He was pretty proud of it, but every time he went back to the house or looked at his sketches, he always wanted to change something.

“What have you guys gotten done so far?” Melissa asked, picking up the plan for the second floor and squinting at it.

“The house had been cleaned up and landscapers have been working on the land all week.”

“I thought that the house was in the middle of the forest.”

“It is.”

“Why does she need landscapers for a forest?”

“This is Laura we’re talking about,” Derek said.

“Good point,” Melissa nodded. “All right, continue.”

“The foundation and floors have all been rebuilt, along with the outside walls,” Derek said. “Right now they’re working on putting a new roof and building a garage. Monday is when I’m supposed to be done with my plan for the first floor. I’m heading over there tomorrow to finish it up.”

“Then taking a break on Sunday?”

“I have shifts at the art store and the bar.”

Melissa sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder. “Can’t you just have one day off?”

“No,” Derek said. “I like working. Well, I like working at the house.”

“Aren’t you lonely, sketching all by yourself?”

“Stiles is there,” Derek shrugged.

It was then that Derek realized that he would never have to tell her about his feelings toward Stiles. Because of course she already knew. She tried (and failed) to suppress her smile. “Well that’s nice of him.”

“Yeah,” Derek said, grabbing his plans and folding them back up. “I should go, I’ve got an early day tomorrow.”

“Don’t work too hard,” Melissa said, standing up with Derek and walking him to the front door. “I’ll see you next Friday.”

“Bye Mom,” Derek said, allowing himself to be hugged before heading out of the house and to his car.

As soon as he got back to the apartment he went straight to his room and collapsed onto his bed. It wasn’t even nine o’clock, but he was supposed to be at the Hale house at six the next morning. He wrapped the covers around himself before shutting his eyes and willing himself to fall asleep.

Derek woke up the next morning to his alarm going off at 5:15. He groaned and turned it off before getting ready to head over to the house. He showered and got dressed, ate a quick breakfast, and got his supplies together before driving to the house.

Unsurprisingly, everyone was already working when he got there. People were on the roof and the guys building the garage looked like they were finishing up the structure. Derek walked up the newly built front porch and made his way to the sitting room.

Stiles was already there, sitting against a wall. He had a book opened in his lap and a notebook open beside him where he was taking down notes. Derek placed his stuff next to the opposite wall and sat down against it, taking out the floor plan for the first floor.

“What are you reading?” Derek asked.

“ _Northanger Abbey_ ,” Stiles said, holding up the book for Derek to see.

“Is it any good?” Derek asked.

“It’s okay,” Stiles said, scrunching up his nose. “Lydia’s practically in love with it, but I just can’t get into Austen. How’s the floor plan?”

“I’m almost done with this floor,” Derek said. “I’m trying to decide if part of this should just be a sitting room and to build a wall or to keep it open and make the family room bigger.”

“Dude, don’t make it a sitting room,” Stiles said. “Make it a parlor. Lydia says that every big house should have a parlor. She already showed me her color swatches if this ended up being a parlor.”

“What’s the difference between a parlor and a sitting room?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but I do know that parlor sounds a lot cooler than sitting room.”

“All right then, we’ll make it a parlor,” Derek said, grabbing a drafting pencil and getting to work.

Stiles smiled at him widely before getting back to his book. It was relatively silent in the room (if you ignored the 50 workmen working around them). Stiles would occasionally make a vocal remark about something in his book (“Isabella is such a bitch!” “I feel like if I read _The Mysteries of Udolpho_ I’ll understand this book better, but that’s like 700 pages long, so fuck that.” “Why can’t Catherine and Tilney just get married already?”) and sometimes Laura would come in to check his progress.

After a few hours of erasing and redrawing everything on his floor plan, Derek was finally satisfied. He left the sitti-parlor and went to find Laura. She was outside yelling at someone on the roof.

“I don’t care if that part of the roof looks fine!” she shouted. “I want all of it new and matching!”

“Laura, I finished,” Derek said, handing her the plan.

She turned to beam at him, grabbing the plan from him and holding it up in front of her. “Ooh, I don’t know what any of this means, but it looks professional! Can you explain it to me in the simplest terms possible?”

“Uh, okay,” Derek said, transitioning his mind from architecture to a list of the different rooms on the first floor. “You first walk into the foyer and on the right is the sitting- sorry, parlor. There’s a wall up separating the parlor and the family room, which basically takes up most of the back of the house. There’s also a half bathroom back there as well. Going back to the foyer, on the left is the kitchen and farther back is open to the dining room. Oh, and the door leading to the basement is next to the grand staircase in the foyer.”

If Derek wasn’t used to Laura’s strange looks he would have been creep out by the one she was giving him now. Her mouth was stretched into a wide smile and she was looking at him with a mixture of pride and something else.

“Oh, Derek, look at you all grown up and talking about houses,” she said, slapping him on the arm.

Derek ignored her comment, choosing to ask her about her progress. “How’s the landscaping?”

“It’s good,” Laura said. “We’ve had to cut down a few trees due to fire damage and some needed to be cleared away since they’ve been damaged by storms. One looked like it was snapped in half. Oh, and there’s also a lake.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it’s gorgeous,” Laura gushed. “The water is practically crystal clear and there’s an old pier that we’re going to rebuild. I called Peter to ask him about it and he said that when he was a kid he used to swim there in the summer with my dad.”

Laura got a sad smile on her face at the mention of her father and Derek pressed a hand against her shoulder. She looked up at him and smiled. “I don’t know why he wants to sell this house. It must hold so many memories for him.”

“Maybe that’s why he wants to sell it.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Laura said. “Anyway, all depressing thoughts aside, I’ve got the boys working all weekend so everything should be good to go for you to start planning the second floor. I have a question though.”

“Shoot.”

“Should there be a bathroom in the basement?” she asked. “Right now it’s just this big, plain room. We’re making a section for a washer and dryer, but I feel like it needs a bathroom too.”

“Well, if it was my house I’d want a bathroom,” Derek shrugged. “It depends on your budget.”

“Money isn’t an issue,” Laura said, waving her hand at him. “The issue is the bathroom. Why would you want one?”

“I would probably make the basement into a gym if I lived here, so a bathroom would be nice to have down there,” Derek said.

“Of course you would make it a gym,” Laura said, rolling her eyes. “Why don’t you go and take Stiles out to lunch or something? I’ll see you on Monday.”

Derek couldn’t even argue because Laura was shooing him away. He head back to the parlor to see that Stiles hadn’t moved an inch, but now it looked like he was actually enjoying his book.

“I’m heading out,” Derek said. “Do you want to go to lunch? I can drive you back here to get your Jeep when we’re done.”

Stiles looked up from his book and grinned, grabbing his stuff and shoving it all into his backpack. “You’re paying, right?”

“I’m paying for myself,” Derek said, picking up his supplies and walking with Stiles out of the house.

The next week passed in an absolute blur. Derek had finished the plan for the second floor (two bathrooms, two offices, and a library with a study room off of it) and Laura was right on schedule with her landscaping. The pier at the lake was finished and the landscapers were now planting dogwood trees around the house along with various shrubs and flowerbeds. She was also getting her fish pond that was in the backyard, close to the front porch. The garage was almost finished and she had called painters to come in a few days to stain the outside wood.

Windows and the gutter system were to be worked on the third week when Derek was working on the final floor and when that was done electric would come in. The last week was reserved for Lydia Martin to come in and decide paint, flooring, furniture, appliances, lighting fixtures, and everything else. Laura told her that he would have to work with her for any built in pieces of furniture and he was not looking forward to that.

Stiles had started to go stir crazy about halfway through the second week. He had finished all of his summer homework and had started bringing in his laptop, but without any Wi-Fi he had claimed that there was no point. So, he started going on runs again. He would hang out with Derek for the majority of the mornings, but during the afternoon he would go for a run on the land and then come back in the evening to tell Derek about it.

It was nice. Derek liked working on the house and he was dreading when it would eventually be over. He would have to go back to school and start picking up more hours at the art store and bar.

The third week was hectic since almost everyone Laura had hired was there at the same time. Derek had to practically climb over people to make it to the third floor. The floor contained just bedrooms and bathrooms, so he probably wouldn’t have much input in it, but he still wanted to have a decent floor plan. Stiles was of course waiting for him, sitting in the master bedroom with his laptop.

“I thought your laptop was boring without Internet,” Derek said, taking a seat against the wall opposite Stiles.

“I’m playing the Sims.”

“And why are you doing that?”

“I’m building a tiny model of the house,” Stiles shrugged.

“And why are you doing that?” Derek repeated.

“Because I really love it here,” Stiles shrugged. “And when it’s sold we won’t be able to come inside, so I want to remember what it looks like.”

“Stiles this house probably won’t get sold for years,” Derek said. “It’s sad, but true. It’s a great house, but only someone with a lot of money can buy it and no one with a lot of money wants to live in Beacon Hills. You’ll probably be able to see it anytime you want since Laura’s always going to have a key on her.”

“Do you think I’ll be able to see it on April 10th?” Stiles asked.

Well, that was a specific date. April 10th, why did that date seem so familiar? Oh right, it was Stiles’ 18th birthday.

“I’m sure Laura will be able to give you a tour of the house on your birthday, Stiles,” Derek said.

“Maybe I don’t want Laura to give me a tour on my birthday,” Stiles said, placing his laptop on the floor and making his way toward Derek. “Maybe I want to spend my birthday with someone else in this house.”

“And who could that be?” Derek asked, willing himself to keep focused on sketching.

Stiles was sitting in front of Derek, leaning over his lap so that his face was close to Derek’s neck. He could feel puffs of breath on his neck, but he ignored it, continuing to sketch.

“You,” Stiles said.

Derek pushed his sketchbook away and turned his head to look at Stiles. They were centimeters apart and Derek thought about how easy it would be to just lean forward and _take_.

“Why would you want to spend your birthday with me all alone in a big house?”

“Because I would like to spend my first day of adulthood with you,” Stiles said. “In this house. Preferably in this bedroom. Probably just on the bed.”

Derek’s lips quirked up in a smirk. He was definitely looking forward to this idea. “And what would you want to do all day?”

“I would want you to fuck me.”

“ _Jesus_ , Stiles,” Derek said, not being able to resist anymore and bringing a hand up to cup Stiles’ cheek, pressing his thumb against Stiles’ mouth.

“That’s what I want,” Stiles said, his lips moving against Derek’s thumb. “That’s what I’ve wanted for a really long time. And I know it’s what you want too. Ever since you caught me jacking off.”

“You knew I was standing there the entire time, didn’t you?”

“You’re not as quiet as you think you are.”

 _Fuck_ , when did this kid get so damn good at this? Derek was beginning to wonder if _Northanger Abbey_ was just a cover up for _How to Talk Dirty: For Dummies_.

Stiles leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Derek’s and parting his lips slightly so that he could capture Derek’s thumb in his mouth. Derek groaned at the sight. Stiles’ amber eyes were darkened and his mouth looked so good wrapped around Derek’s thumb.

He took his thumb away from Stiles and pressed a hand against the back of Stiles’ neck, pulling him even closer so that they were flush against each other. Derek could feel Stiles’ hard dick through his jeans, pressing against Derek’s own erection.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” Derek breathed, placing a hand on Stiles’ hip.

“That’s the plan,” Stiles said, his mouth twitching up in a grin.

Stiles leaned forward to kiss him when Derek clamped a hand over his mouth. He hated doing it, but this needed to be stopped before things went too far. Stiles seemed to disagree as he perked an eyebrow, grabbing Derek’s wrist and prying his hand from his mouth.

“Why can’t we kiss?” Stiles asked. “That’s not illegal. We can do that.”

“Because once I start kissing you I don’t have any intentions of stopping,” Derek said.

This seemed to peeve Stiles a bit as he backed away from Derek completely and then lay down on the floor with a loud sigh. His feet were planted on the floor and his legs were spread, giving Derek the perfect view of the bulge in his pants.

That little bastard.

“Fine,” Stiles said. “No kissing, no touching, no nothing. Not until I’m 18, I get it.”

“It’s less than a year away,” Derek said. “This is killing me just as much as it’s killing you, but I turn 24 soon, Stiles. You’re 17, that’s kind of a big difference.”

“I know,” Stiles said. “Trust me, I know.”

Stiles let out another loud sigh. Then he sat up quickly, smiling slyly at Derek.

“What?” Derek asked.

“What are your thoughts on phone sex?”

Yeah. Stiles was going to be the death of him.

**OoOoOoO**

The house was done according to Laura. After Derek had finished the floor plan for the third floor he had been relieved of his duties. It was the first day of the last week when Derek got the call from Laura.

Apparently it was time to bring in the secret weapon. Derek drove to the Hale house and up the newly paved driveway to see Laura’s car and someone else’s already there. He got out and noticed that the lights were on inside.

Derek didn’t bother knocking and went inside. He turned into the kitchen to see Laura talking with Lydia. The first thought that came to Derek when was “tiny, but terrifying”. He could see why Stiles liked her so much. She was listing off a long list of things that she wanted done to the kitchen while Laura typed everything that she was saying on her laptop.

(Stiles had insisted on getting a Wi-Fi router when the men came in to wire the house. He had then gone to every room with his laptop to make sure it ran efficiently everywhere in the house.)

“Hey,” Derek greeted, walking up to them.

Lydia turned around to face him and instantly made a face. Well, so much for good first impressions.

“You’re Derek?” Lydia asked.

“Yeah.”

She tapped a finger against her lips and tilted her head to the side, scrutinizing him. “Lift up your shirt.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to see,” Lydia said, clapping her hands together. “C’mon, lift it up!”

Derek grabbed the bottom of his shirt and lifted it up to show his torso. Lydia tilted her head even further and stared at him for a full 15 seconds. He was tempted to just put the shirt down (especially with the way Laura was snickering), but Lydia was practically glaring at him. And she was starting to scare him.

“Okay, put it down,” Lydia said, waving her hand.

He dropped the shirt and gave her a questioningly look. Lydia rolled her eyes. “I just wanted to see if Stiles still has good taste. His taste was perfect before, with me as a prime example. But you’re good too.”

Derek didn’t know if he should thank her or slap her. He did neither.

“So, what’s the plan?” he asked.

“I want built in cabinets and counters for the kitchen,” Lydia said. “I also want an island and a breakfast bar. For the library you should redo the shelving and make it floor to ceiling shelves. Oh, and get one of those rolling shelf ladders like in _Beauty and the Beast_. In all of the full bathrooms I want built in counters with sinks and either a clawfoot bathtub or a separate stall. There’s no way we’re doing those tacky shower and bathtub combinations. For the half bathrooms get pedestal sinks.

“For the master bathroom you should definitely have a double sink,” Lydia continued. “Make the tub a Jacuzzi one and the shower needs to have seven showerheads. Four from the top, three from the side, and one that’s attached to a hose that you can move around. Oh, and make sure it has a steam option.”

Apparently Lydia was done listing off all of the things that she needed. She was smiling at Derek and he was halfway between agreeing with everything she was saying and arguing with her about everything. So of course he said the most logical thing in that situation.

“Who needs seven showerheads?” he asked.

“The rich person who is going to buy this place probably won’t settle for anything but seven,” she said. “I almost thought about a Vichy shower, but not everyone likes those.”

“Okay, when do you want the plans by?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

“All right,” Derek said. “Laura, make sure to have your plumbers on speed dial. Along with the shower installation guys. I can call the carpenters and cabinet installers.”

“Got it,” Laura said, closing her laptop and tucking it under her arm. “So, we have one week to get all of the cabinets and counters installed. Along with toilets, sinks, bathtubs, showers, and all other appliances that involve plumbing. We need furniture and kitchen appliance. And we need to paint and decide on carpet, tile, or hardwood floor for all rooms.”

“And picture frames, flowers, artwork, soap dispensers, silverware, pots and pans, lamps, curtains, sheets, pillows, et cetera,” Lydia added.

“And a mailbox,” Derek said.

Lydia and Laura turned to Derek and he shrugged. “Whoever lives here is going to need a mailbox.”

“Ooh, and numbers for the house!” Lydia said. “I don’t care if the number will already be on the mailbox; I think they’d look charming. What number is this house anyway?”

“Fourteen,” Laura said. “There used to be a lot more houses out here, but this is the only one left.”

“So, Derek,” Lydia said, walking toward him and pulling out her wallet. For a second he thought that she was going to pay him, but instead she handed him a business card. “Contact me when you’ve got the plan done. Then we can talk about countertops and wood types.”

Derek took the card from her and tucked it into his wallet. For some reason he felt like this was going to be the longest week yet.

And he was right. By some miracle they finished all of the plumbing work that they needed and the cabinets and counters were all installed by Wednesday. Laura had to bribe most of the workers to pull all-nighters, but they had managed to get it done. Lydia had decided on Tuesday that she wanted a screened-in back porch. It was Thursday now and it was already close to being finished. Derek was almost certain that they were breaking several labor laws, but he didn’t care enough to look into it.

Saturday was coming quickly, so Laura hired both the floorers and the painters to come in at the same time. She made them start on opposite ends of the house and work their way in. It felt like everyone who had ever worked on the house was in there at the same time and Derek had to take multiple breaks to get some air. On Friday he was beyond doubtful that they would finish, but Laura placed a hand on his shoulder and told him to come back with Stiles on Sunday to see the finished product.

He didn’t remember Saturday due to being asleep the entire day.

Stiles picked him up at the apartment Sunday afternoon. He was way too tired to drive and he had to resist from hitting the snooze button about ten times. After taking a quick shower and eating, Derek made his way out of the apartment to where Stiles was waiting in his Jeep.

“Are you ready?” Stiles asked, almost bouncing in his seat with excitement.

“I have no idea,” Derek said, leaning his head back against the seat. “I have no idea how they could have finished it. I was there two days ago and they weren’t even halfway done with the flooring in the master bathroom. Lydia had practically forced me to draw the most intricate pattern for the tiles in there and then she decided she wanted a heated floor, so I had to redo the pattern to accommodate that.”

“Lydia can be pretty intense,” Stiles nodded. “She dragged me to every furniture store within two hours of Beacon Hills and made me sit on every couch and chair to make sure I liked it.”

“Wow, that sounds so strenuous,” Derek said. “Sitting on couches. That must have sucked.”

“Then I had to test mattresses,” Stiles continued. “And then she wanted to make sure I liked the silverware and the plates and the end tables and the curtains and her color schemes for all of the bedrooms. I also picked out all of the TVs, but that was actually pretty fun. And the gaming systems! She made me pick out three different platforms; I couldn’t decide between the XBOX 360 and the PS3, so of course she got both and threw in the Wii as well. Oh, and two desktop computers. And a pool table. And we basically bought the entire stock of Barnes & Noble to fill up the library.”

“She asked my opinion on a security system, fire alarms, and exercise equipment,” Derek said. “She didn’t drag me anywhere though.”

“I hope the rich bastards who move into this fully-furnished mansion of awesome are grateful,” Stiles said. “We put so much work into that thing. Mostly you, of course.”

“Mostly Laura,” Derek corrected. “She did everything. Lydia did a hell of a lot too.”

“How much do you think it’s going to sell for?” Stiles asked, turning into the preserve.

“A few million at least.”

“Shit.”

Derek looked over at Stiles and smiled. School had started that Monday (Derek still had no idea how Lydia managed to juggle everything) and Stiles was officially a senior. Derek wouldn’t start his second year of grad school for another week.

They made pointless small talk for the rest of the drive, mostly about the house and some about Stiles’ folklore elective class he was taking. Eventually they arrived at the driveway with a new stone mailbox at the end.

“Of course Lydia would get someone to build a mailbox instead of just buying a plastic one,” Stiles commented.

“I wouldn’t expect anything else,” Derek said.

Stiles drove up the driveway and parked outside of the garage. Three cars were parked there and Derek only recognized Laura’s and Lydia’s. Derek and Stiles got out of the Jeep and headed toward the house. The front door opened as they were making their way up the porch and Lydia came out, beaming at the two of them.

“Are you ready to see it?” she asked.

“Is that a trick question?” Stiles asked.

Lydia rolled her eyes and grabbed Stiles by the arm, dragging him through the front door. Derek followed and as soon as he closed the door behind him he was completely unaware of what to say first. Thankfully, Stiles took care of that problem for him.

“Holy fucking Jesus Christ,” he said, jaw dropping and eyes looking like they were about to pop out of their sockets.

“Agreed,” Derek said, looking around the foyer.

It was perfect. Of course it was perfect, it couldn’t be anything but perfect. Derek didn’t know what to look at first, let alone what room to visit first, when he heard footsteps coming from the kitchen. Laura walked into the foyer with a man who looked like he was in his mid-30s. He had dark hair and something about his blue eyes made Derek feel uncomfortable.

“Derek, this is my uncle Peter,” Laura said, gesturing toward the man.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Peter said, outstretching his hand toward Derek who shook it. “You’ve done a great job on the house.”

“Thanks,” Derek said. “It was mostly Laura though.”

“And Lydia!” Stiles chimed in.

Lydia smiled warmly at Stiles, bumping her hip against his and he smiled broadly back. It was at that moment that Derek knew he didn’t have to worry about Lydia. Their companionship wasn’t anything romantic, it was like two siblings. Lydia was Stiles’ Laura.

“So, would you like the grand tour?” Laura asked. “Starting with outside?”

Derek agreed and the group of five made their way back out of the house. After a short viewing of the garage, they walked the land just far enough to make it to the lake. Laura then steered them back toward the house where they made a full circle, looking at the flowerbeds and the fish pond and the screened-in porch (that Lydia was extremely proud of).

The tour inside the house took much longer since everyone wanted to stop and look at every detail of each room. Eventually they made their way to the third floor and to the master bedroom. Derek’s eyes fell on the king-sized bed in the center of the room before looking at Stiles. Stiles caught his eye and grinned at him, obviously remembering Stiles’ birthday wish.

Derek was already feeling jealous of the owner even though he had no idea who it was. This house had been starting to feel like a home to him and now it was just going to be given away to some random stranger he had never met before. It would be a long time before the house was sold, but Derek was still envious.

When they were done they made their way to the parlor. Laura and Lydia sat down on the couch while Stiles collapsed onto the loveseat. Derek was about to join him when Peter motioned for him to follow him into the kitchen. He looked back at Laura and Lydia, both who looked a bit too suspicious, and then to Stiles who just looked confused.

“I just want to discuss your payment with you,” Peter said.

They sat down at the breakfast bar and Peter got out a small black notebook and a checkbook. He opened the notebook to a blank page and looked up at Derek. “How much money do you think this house is worth?”

“I’m not sure,” Derek said. “Maybe five million? Six?”

“Close,” Peter shrugged, writing down a number in the notebook and pushing it toward Derek. “It’s a bit more than that though.”

It was indeed more expensive than Derek had thought. He then realized that he had forgotten all about the amount of land the house was on. Peter flipped open his checkbook and started to write a check.

“I don’t want any complaining about the amount of money,” Peter said. “This is what you earned and this is what I’m giving you.”

Derek knew that he probably wouldn’t have any complaints. Peter was a wealthy man and this was a huge project. If anything, Peter would probably be overpaying him.

Peter ripped the check from the checkbook and then handed it to Derek. He folded his hands together and watched Derek very carefully as Derek looked at the check.

Derek squinted at the check, turned it upside down and sideways, and held it further away from him. No, it really said that number. Derek looked at Peter with a raised eyebrow. “I think there’s been a mistake.”

“I really don’t think there has been.”

“No, this is definitely a mistake.”

“It’s not.”

The number on the check was exactly the same number that Peter had written down in the notebook. Behind him, Derek heard the jingle of keys and he turned around to see Laura holding out a keychain with three keys on it.

“Front door, back door, and garage,” she said.

“You are not giving me this house,” Derek said. “It’s your family’s house.”

“Yeah and Peter and I are the only ones left,” Laura said. “Peter doesn’t want to live in Beacon Hills and I’m moving in with Chris in a few weeks. Besides, Derek, you are family and this house is your baby.”

“Take it,” Peter said. “I wouldn’t want a rich asshole living in my family’s house anyway. And on the bright side, it’s nice and secluded so you can make passionate love to your jailbait boyfriend while being as loud as you like.”

“Stiles isn’t my boyfriend.”

“Yet,” Peter said. “He isn’t your boyfriend _yet_.”

Derek really hated this guy. Except that he couldn’t hate him because he was giving him his house. Fuck, he was actually giving Derek the house.

“I’ve got some papers here you need to sign,” Peter said, taking out a black folder and opening it up. “Sign them and it’s all yours.”

And Derek did just that.

**OoOoOoO**

“Do you ever just feel ridiculous?” Stiles asked.

“Ridiculous how?”

“Well, you’re all alone in this big house,” Stiles explained. “Do you feel like you just don’t belong in it?”

“Every day,” Derek said. “But I get plenty of visitors.”

It was true. Derek’s house (that was still the weirdest thing in the world to him) was now the new place for Friday night dinners. Their group had expanded even more. Lydia and Isaac were now being invited and so was Lydia’s boyfriend, Jackson. Jackson Whittemore had changed from a douchebag to still a douchebag, but much less of one. He could be decent company when he wanted to be, but he could also be a huge pain in Derek’s side.

Tonight was a Saturday night though and it was a very special Saturday night. It was of course the season seven premiere of _Doctor Who_ and Stiles had convinced his dad to let him stay over at Derek’s. The Sheriff had been beyond skeptical, but after a long talk about no one being able to find Derek’s body and Derek agreeing to all of the Sheriff’s terms, Stiles was allowed to go.

“I can’t believe it’s been eight months since a new episode has been released,” Stiles said.

“Yeah, I’ve missed it,” Derek said.

And he had missed it. He loved the show, but spending time with Stiles was probably the highlight. Derek could never get enough of him and that excited him and scared him at the same time. He hadn’t even completely gotten Stiles yet and he was already craving just more of being next to him.

Right now they were in the family room on the first floor, sitting on the leather couch that Stiles had picked out with Lydia. The big flat screen in front of them had also been picked out by Stiles. In fact most of the furniture had been either picked out or approved by Stiles.

“Did you watch the _Pond Life_ mini-series?” Stiles asked.

“Yeah.”

“I heard rumors that Amy and Rory are getting a divorce,” Stiles said.

“That’s ridiculous,” Derek said.

“Hey, it’s just what I heard,” Stiles said, holding up his hands defensively. “I’m hoping it’s not true.”

Derek hoped that it wasn’t true too. If Amy and Rory couldn’t make it, then what chance did normal people have at love?

Last year’s Christmas Special was just ending and the new episode started. Stiles started slapping Derek on the arm excitedly and Derek chuckled, grabbing Stiles’ hand to stop him. He placed their hands on the cushion between them and he felt Stiles squeeze his hand.

The episode was great, even with Stiles’ commentary throughout the entire thing. (“Holy shit, they’re actually getting a divorce.” “This soufflé girl is cool.” “Fuck, that’s a lot of Daleks.” “Oh shit, Amy’s bracelet fell off!” “No, but this soufflé girl is awesome.” “The Daleks can now turn into humans?” “Yes! I knew Amy and Rory would be okay!” “Wait. Oswin’s a Dalek? That sucked, I fucking loved her!”)

It was over at ten, giving them plenty of time before either one of them was ready to fall asleep. Derek turned off the TV and looked down at their hands that were still clasped together. Stiles was smiling at him and Derek moved closer to him, unclasping their hands to wrap an arm around Stiles’ shoulders.

“I hate this,” Stiles said.

“Me too,” Derek said. “But we’re doing what’s best.”

“Yeah, but what’s the point in waiting?” Stiles asked. “We’re in the middle of nowhere and my dad knows where I am. He knows how we feel about each other and he’s probably assuming that we’re going to be having sex. And my dad is the Sheriff, Derek. If he’s okay with it, then does it really matter? I turn 18 in seven months and I don’t think I can wait much longer. Derek, I just-.”

He stopped, turning to face Derek and Derek could practically feel his own heart breaking. Stiles looked so desperate and so nervous and so full of want that Derek had to hold himself back from bringing his mouth against his.

“I want to touch you,” Stiles said, lowering his voice even though there was no possible way anyone other than Derek would hear him. “And not just holding hands or hugging. I want you, Derek. My first time doesn’t need to be some big event on my birthday with rose petals and candles or whatever. It being with you and it being in this house is more than good enough for me.”

Derek continued to stay silent as Stiles moved even closer to Derek, placing a hand on the back of his neck and pulling him forward. “ _Please_ , Derek. I’m ready.”

“I know you are,” Derek said.

Stiles eyes widened and his mouth twitched into a smile. He was filling up with so much hope that it was practically killing Derek to ruin it for him.

“But I’m not.”

The hope was placed by confusion. “What do you mean? Derek, I know you’ve slept with tons of people.”

“That has nothing to do with it,” Derek sighed. “I want to wait until you’re 18 because I don’t want to be like her.”

It didn’t take long for realization to wash over Stiles’ face. He instantly started to shake his head, bringing the hand he had on Derek’s neck up to his cheek. “Derek, you’re not like her. There’s nothing to compare you two with. She’s a crazy bitch who used you. Derek, I’ve known you for years and I know that you would never do that to me. Don’t think for a second that you are anything like-.”

“Stiles,” Derek cut in. “I also want to wait because I’m nervous about something else.”

“What else?” Stiles asked, his eyebrows furrowing together.

“I’ve never been with anyone who’s actually cared about me before.”

Stiles brought his other hand up to cup Derek’s other cheek. Derek felt like a child with his face being practically cradled in Stiles’ hands. But he also felt safe and cared for. Stiles just had that way about him, something that Derek couldn’t even begin to mimic or understand.

“I love you,” Stiles said.

And that was probably the biggest mystery of all. How could someone so loyal and honest and selfless and beautiful love someone like Derek? It didn’t make any sense. But then again, nothing about Stiles made sense.

Stiles leaned forward, pressing his lips against Derek’s forehead and then his temple and then his hairline. He left a stream of kisses all over Derek’s face, avoiding his mouth, and Derek all but melted against him. He wrapped an arm around Stiles’ waist, holding him close and shutting his eyes. When Stiles stopped Derek almost protested, but then Stiles was nuzzling his nose against the skin under Derek’s ear.

“I love you,” he repeated.

If that was the only thing Derek heard for the rest of his life he would be content. He would be happy and complete. There was nothing Derek wanted to hear more.

“Come to bed with me?” Derek requested, leaning away from Stiles slightly so that he could look at him.

Stiles knew that it wasn’t an invitation for sex. Derek didn’t have to clarify that at all. He nodded, keeping his eyes trained on Derek. The original plan had been for Stiles to sleep in one of the guest bedrooms. That definitely wasn’t going to happen tonight.

Derek stood up and took Stiles’ hand in his once more. He pulled Stiles off of the couch and led him out of the family room and to the foyer where the grand staircase was. They walked upstairs in silence with their hands clasped tightly together. Derek continued down the hallway on the second floor until he reached the staircase leading to the third floor.

The master bedroom was right in the center of the third floor and when Derek opened the door to the room Stiles’ hand slipped out of his. “I’ll be right back. I just have to get my things.”

Derek watched as Stiles headed down the hallway and into the guest bedroom he had planned on sleeping in. Derek entered the master bedroom and turned on the lamp on his nightstand. He slipped his shirt over his head and then unbuckled his belt. Stiles came into the room, placing his backpack on the armchair that was in the corner of the room. Derek finished stripping, leaving him in only a pair of black boxer briefs. Stiles pressed his lips together, gulping slightly as Derek pulled back the covers on the bed and got in.

“Are you going to sleep in your jeans?” Derek asked, perking an eyebrow at Stiles who was still just standing there.

“No,” Stiles said.

He shrugged off his plaid button-down shirt and then unbuckled his belt and unfastened his jeans, letting them fall to the floor. Stiles stepped out of them and marched over to the bed, slipping inside next to Derek.

“Do you normally sleep in a shirt?” Derek asked, moving closer to Stiles to wrap an arm around him.

“Yeah,” Stiles shrugged. “I get cold easily.”

“That’s probably not going to be the case tonight,” Derek said, pulling Stiles to his chest.

Derek slipped a hand under Stiles’ t-shirt, feeling the lean muscle he had been aching to touch. Stiles shuddered under him, pressing his face into the crook of Derek’s neck as he touched him. Derek took the bottom of the t-shirt in his hand. “Do you want me to take it off?”

Stiles nodded into his shoulder and Derek smiled, pulling the shirt off of Stiles and tossing it on the floor. Derek ran a hand up Stiles’ torso, lingering on his chest and using his thumb to rub a nipple to hardness. Stiles moaned, bringing his face out of Derek’s shoulder. “What happened to not being ready?”

“I’m not,” Derek said. “You touched me downstairs though, I’m just returning the favor.”

“I was comforting you,” Stiles said, gripping Derek’s bicep as Derek rolled one of his nipples between his thumb and pointer finger. “This isn’t comforting me, Derek.”

“Then what is this?” Derek asked.

He brought his hand down lower, to the waistband of Stiles’ boxers. His fingers ran across the trail of hair there and Stiles’ breath hitched. “This is you trying to get me hard, you asshole.”

“Is it working?”

“Why don’t you see for yourself?” Stiles suggested, grabbing Derek’s wrist and bringing his hand down to cup him.

Stiles was half hard and Derek felt his heart beat faster at that. He pressed his palm harder against Stiles’ dick, feeling the heat against his hand. Stiles bucked into his hand and groaned, his face finding the crook of Derek’s neck once more.

“Don’t do this, Derek,” Stiles said. “Because you won’t follow through with it, I know you won’t. Don’t do this to me.”

“You’re the one who put my hand there,” Derek said, squeezing lightly.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Stiles gasped, pressing himself harder into Derek’s hand.

“Stiles,” Derek said, taking his hand away. “I think you should go to the bathroom to relieve yourself of your little problem.”

He felt rather than heard the grumble Stiles made. “I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.”

Stiles didn’t respond as he got out of bed and picked his shirt up from the floor, slipping it back on. He made his way to the bathroom and stopped once he got to the door, turning around.

“No, I don’t.”

Revenge was in the form of Stiles not closing the bathroom door and loudly moaning Derek’s name when he came. Derek was facing the opposite direction the entire time.

**OoOoOoO**

“AP Lit. is dumb,” Stiles groaned, folding his arms on top of the table and letting his head fall down.

“Doctoral Architecture is dumb,” Derek countered.

Stiles raised his head and stuck his tongue out at Derek. Great, he was dating a giant five year-old.

“What’s wrong?” Derek asked.

“I have to write an essay on a prominent symbol in Toni Morrison’s _Beloved_ ,” Stiles said.

“Pick the river,” Derek said. “That one’s easy.”

“How the hell does someone in their second year of grad school remember something like that from high school English?”

“I liked the book,” Derek shrugged.

The look that Stiles was giving him (which made it seem like Derek liked eating kittens for breakfast) made it clear that Stiles did not like the book.

“But it’s so…” Stiles said, waving his hands around as he tried to find the right word. “Lame. _White Noise_ was so much better.”

“I hated _White Noise_ ,” Derek said. “All Jack did was complain and obsess over Hitler.”

“Yeah, but the part with the Dylar at the end where he shoots the guy was awesome!”

“That was one page out of 326 of pure agonizing torture.”

“Wow, Derek, say what you really feel.”

Derek went back to his homework; well at least he tried to. Stiles was tapping his pencil against the table and his foot was jumping up and down.

“Have you taken your Adderall today?” Derek asked.

“Yes,” Stiles said and Derek didn’t even have to look up to see the eye roll.

He continued tapping. Derek looked up from his workbook.

“What is it?”

“I can’t think of any symbolism for the river.”

“Did you actually read the book?”

“Yes!”

“I’m not doing your homework for you, Stiles.”

More tapping.

“The river is a body of water and bodies of water symbolize life. Sethe gives birth to Denver on a boat in the middle of the river; if that’s not a symbol for life, then I don’t know what is. Beloved comes ‘back to life’ by walking out of the river. The river is also a line. It’s the line between slave territory and non-slave territory. It’s also a line between the living and the dead, a reference to the River Styx in Greek mythology. Oh, and it’s also a reference to the Middle Passage as well. There’s a stream of consciousness chapter on that from Beloved’s point of view.”

Stiles was furiously writing down everything Derek was saying. Once he was finished he looked up at Derek, smiling slyly. “Any chance you can give me an analytical thesis statement to start me off?”

“In Toni Morrison’s novel, _Beloved_ , Morrison uses the river as a symbol of life, a line between slavery and freedom as well as the living and the dead, and as a reference to the Middle Passage, making it a prominent symbol throughout the novel.”

“I love you.”

Derek felt his heart speed up. Stiles said “I love you” at the smallest of things. Derek said it too, but only when it was a serious or intimate moment.

“Do your homework,” Derek said, kicking Stiles from under the table.

They made it through about ten minutes of blessed silence when Stiles started to talk again.

“Five months and three days,” Stiles said wistfully.

“Please don’t tell me you have a countdown on your phone,” Derek said.

“I don’t,” Stiles said. “I just know how far apart our birthdays are. I can’t believe you want to spend your 24th birthday doing homework in the study of your giant house when you could let your super-willing boyfriend ravish your Grecian body.”

“ _Stiles_ ,” Derek warned.

“I know, I know,” Stiles said, pushing his chair back and walking toward Derek. “No mouth-to-mouth and no touching below the belt.”

Stiles gestured for Derek to scoot his chair back some and Derek did, getting an armful of Stiles afterward. He straddled Derek’s lap, wrapping his arms around his neck as Derek settled his hands on Stiles’ thighs.

“I like this,” Derek said. “I like spending quiet time with you, it’s peaceful.”

“Yeah, but you’re doing homework that will actually benefit your career,” Stiles said. “No kindergartner wants to know about symbolism in a novel where a deranged woman kills her baby to ‘save’ her from slavery.”

“But you need to do it to graduate from high school,” Derek said. “And you need to graduate from high school to get into college and-.”

“-And I need college to be able to teach, I know,” Stiles finished with a roll of his eyes. “The offer to get your body ravished still stands.”

“I’ll take you up on that for my 25th.”

**OoOoOoO**

It was the post-Christmas Friday night dinner which basically translated into turkey sandwiches and leftover mashed potatoes. No one was complaining though as nine of them sat down comfortably in the family room to eat. Lydia and Jackson were at his parents’ beach house still, but Lydia made sure to send them all tacky Christmas cards (Derek’s was in a shoebox in his closet where he put all of his other cards.).

Isaac’s aunt was out of town, so he was staying at the McHale house in Derek’s old room. He was a quiet kid, but he also helped with the dishes, so they kept him around. Derek could also tell that Isaac practically gravitated toward Scott. He was friendly with Stiles and Allison, but he always wanted to be right next to Scott. Stiles noticed this as well, because when Derek went up to get seconds, Stiles followed him into the kitchen.

“He’s not trying to steal my best friend, he’s trying to steal Allison’s boyfriend,” Stiles said once they were out of earshot.

“You are beyond paranoid,” Derek said, piling mashed potatoes onto a plate and then putting it in the microwave.

“He’s in love with Scott,” Stiles said, placing his hands on the island and hoisting himself up to sit on it.

“And why is that such a bad thing?”

“Because Scott is with Allison!”

“Then how is it a problem?” Derek asked. “We both know that Scott is stupidly in love with Allison. We both know about the engagement ring he thinks he’s hiding so well. Hell, Allison probably knows about it. Isaac’s love is one-sided, he’ll get over it.”

Stiles still didn’t look convinced. He made a face at Derek, tilting his head to the side. “Yeah, but what if he doesn’t get over it?”

“Babe, you’re thinking about this too much,” Derek said, standing in front of where Stiles was seated and running his hands up and down his thighs. “It’s not our problem.”

“’Babe’?” Stiles asked, perking an eyebrow at him. “That’s new.”

“Is that seriously all you got out of that?”

“I have a short attention span.”

“I’ve noticed,” Derek said, brushing his knuckles against Stiles’ crotch.

Stiles’ lips parted and he scooted backward on the island. “Derek, my father is in the other room.”

“Stiles, your father had his hand on my mother’s thigh throughout the entire dinner,” Derek said.

“Oh, I did not need to know that,” Stiles groaned.

Derek smirked, taking the mashed potatoes from the microwave and stirring them with a fork. “Ready to go back in there?”

“Yeah,” Stiles said, sliding off of the island. “It is time for presents.”

“And are you ready for yours?” Derek asked.

“Is it your dick in a box?” Stiles asked, looking a little too hopeful.

“No, I can’t say that it is,” Derek said.

It was clear that Stiles was expecting this answer since he just shrugged it off as they headed back toward the family room. “You get your present after everyone leaves. My dad said that I could stay the night.”

Derek nodded, linking his hand with Stiles’. It was nothing new for Stiles being allowed to stay the night. Sometimes he even stayed for the entire weekend, Sunday nights included. The Sheriff trusted Derek with Stiles. Derek didn’t know if that had to do with knowing him for so long or because he was dating Derek’s mother or because he just thought Derek was trustworthy. It didn’t matter. Derek got to fall asleep with Stiles in his arms more often than not, he couldn’t be bothered with the details.

“My dad bought me a box of condoms the other day,” Stiles said, sounding a little too bitter. “He probably thinks we’re having sex marathons whenever I come over here. But that’s not the case at all. We’re either watching movies or eating or doing homework or playing pool or going skinny-dipping in the lake.”

“We’ve never gone skinny-dipping in the lake.”

“I know,” Stiles said. “That was a clever ploy to put the idea in your head.”

“It’s December.”

“It’ll warm up in March.”

Derek didn’t even bother responding as they entered the family room. He took a seat on the couch next to Laura who was sitting with Chris. She took the plate of mashed potatoes from his hands and started eating.

“I didn’t get those for you,” he said.

“You might as well have,” she shrugged. “Do you want your present or not?”

“Don’t tell me the mashed potatoes you just stole from me is my present.”

“Please, Derek,” Laura said, rolling her eyes and bending over slightly to grab a box from the floor. “That would just be cruel.”

The others were already exchanging presents amongst themselves, so Derek ripped the paper off of the box and opened it. Inside was a new leather jacket. A very expensive new leather jacket. He had gotten his current one on sale at a discount store. This one was brand new, but it had been made to look worn and old. The label was also in French, which was a sure indicator that it was expensive.

“We agreed on nothing over $20,” Derek said, looking up at her.

“Well consider it the gift that keeps on giving,” Laura shrugged. “Your old jacket is getting so worn out and you need a new one. Besides we can’t the Beacon Hills Sex Symbol wearing a leather jacket with holes in it.”

“Beacon Hills Sex Symbol?” Derek asked, tilting his head in case he hadn’t heard her right.

“That’s kind of what you are, Derek,” Laura said. “You drive a nice car, live in a fancy house all by yourself, and you’re only 24. And you have nice abs. I overheard Mrs. Parkinson talking about how much she liked your ass in the grocery store last week.”

“Mrs. Parkinson is 82 years-old.”

“My point exactly.”

“That’s disturbing.”

“I think she’s the head of your fan club.”

“You’re just making stuff up now.”

They looked at each other for a few seconds before starting to laugh. Derek wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. “Thanks, Laura.”

“Anytime,” she said, pulling away from him. “Now where’s my present?”

Needless to say Laura was very happy about the perfume he had gotten her. (“I’ve wanted this for years, but never got it. I thought we said nothing over $20!” “Well, we can’t have the Beacon Hills Home Wrecker smelling bad.” “You’re an asshole.”)

Once all of the presents had been opened, everyone was getting ready to leave. That was until Melissa turned to the group.

“Okay, I need to ask this before I forget,” she said. “Where did everybody apply to college?”

“The city college that’s only 20 minutes away,” Allison said, looking at Derek since that was where he still attended.

“Beacon Hills Community,” Scott said, grumbling slightly. Laura wrapped and arm around him and kissed the top of his head reassuringly.

“Same as Scott,” Isaac said. Stiles gave Derek an “I told you so” look.

“Lydia is going to MIT and Jackson’s going to that school in Massachusetts on a lacrosse scholarship, isn’t he?” Melissa said. “Isn’t it close to MIT?”

“Unsurprisingly,” Allison said, a soft smile on her face.

“All right, so that leaves Stiles,” Melissa said, turning toward him.

“The city college,” he said.

Melissa nodded, but the Sheriff gave Stiles a strange look. “And Stanford and Berkeley.”

“Well, yeah, but I’ve got like no chance of getting in,” Stiles said.

“Your counselor said that you have a great chance,” the Sheriff said.

Stiles gave his dad a pleading look before glancing quickly over at Derek.

“Oh,” the Sheriff said, his eyes resting on Derek.

Things started to get a little awkward, so everyone quickly said their goodbyes. Eventually it was just Stiles and Derek left in the foyer. Stiles spun around, looking like he was about to explain, but Derek started talking first.

“Stanford and Berkeley?”

“I don’t have a chance at getting in,” Stiles said. “And even if I did I would need a scholarship to actually go. My dad can’t afford to send me over there, so the possibility of me even going is crazy low.”

“You’ve always said that you wanted to get out of Beacon Hills,” Derek said.

It was pretty clear to Derek that Stiles wanted exactly that. He looked confused and frustrated though. Derek wanted an answer though. More than anything he wanted to push the answer out of Stiles, to know exactly where he was heading.

“You do want to get out, don’t you?” Derek asked.

“I refuse to have this conversation with you.”

Stiles folded his arms across his chest and looked at Derek stubbornly.

“I just want to know, Stiles.”

“Well, its three days after Christmas, we have a _Doctor Who_ special to watch, and I don’t want to tell you.”

“You’re acting like a child.”

“Technically I am one,” Stiles pointed out. “Which is why you haven’t fucked me yet.”

It was at times like these where Derek was almost painfully aware of the age difference between them. Sometimes Stiles would act like a complete child, which made sense because Stiles had grown up at such a young age. Derek wasn’t innocent of acting like a brat sometimes too. They were a lot more alike than they thought.

“You know that’s not the reason, Stiles,” Derek sighed, walking toward Stiles and placing his hands on his hips.

Stiles was stiff as Derek pulled him into his arms. But after Derek slid a hand under his shirt, rubbing his back, and nuzzled his face into the crook of his neck, Stiles relaxed under his touch.

“Three months, one week, six days,” Stiles said, arms coming up to wrap around Derek’s neck.

“I knew you had a countdown on your phone.”

“Shut up.”

**OoOoOoO**

Derek wasn’t good at relationships. This was partly because he had only been in two. The first had only been real on his part and the second, his current relationship, was complicated and simple at the same time, which only made things more complicated.

Of course Stiles was different than Kate. He was different than her in more than the technical ways (Kate was a woman, Kate had been older than Derek, Kate was manipulative). Stiles loved Derek. It was still hard not to pinch himself every morning just to make sure that Stiles was really his. He just needed assurance to know that Stiles wanted him.

So, Derek wanted to do something for Stiles. He wanted to make this day special.

Because it was Valentine’s Day and neither of them had celebrated it with anyone before.

Derek had asked Laura for advice (“Chris and I are basically just going to have sex all day… and eat chocolate. Maybe we’ll go to the shooting range afterward.”). That hadn’t been too helpful, so for some reason Derek went to Scott (“I’m taking Allison out for a picnic after school. And then we’ll probably have sex. Not while having the picnic though, because we’re having the picnic in the park.”). He had even tried Jackson as a last ditch effort (“I’m buying Lydia shoes and a custom bouquet. Then we’re going to watch her shitty romance movies. She promised me she’d give me head after it.”).

It didn’t take much for Derek to realize the common factor in all of these situations. He had already bought Stiles a box of chocolates and the _Torchwood_ Blu-Ray box set. Stiles was sure to love them, but he knew that something was missing. And he knew that Stiles would know what was missing. Then the entire night would be spent with them pretending to have a great time when they both knew what was missing.

They only had the night together as well. Both of them had school and then Stiles had to work a shift at the bookstore. Stiles was spending the night though. It was a Thursday, but the Sher- John (“Derek, I’m dating your mother and you’re dating my son. You can call me by my first name, its fine.”) had allowed it. He was becoming even more lenient on letting Stiles stay over. Stiles had told Derek that it was because his dad would rather have him safe with Derek than at a party or something. Derek was just happy that he was staying over more. He even had his own drawer in the dresser and a toothbrush in the bathroom.

It was nine o’clock when Derek heard the Jeep pull into the driveway. Derek went out on the front porch and stood on the top of the steps, watching as Stiles got out of his car with a bag of take-out in one hand and a gift bag in the other. He saw Derek and smiled, walking up the steps of the porch.

This would probably be the time for normal couples to kiss in greeting. Derek chose to grab the take-out bag from him and press a kiss into Stiles’ hair. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

“More like Happy Valentine’s Night,” Stiles snorted, walking toward the front door and into the house.

Derek put the take-out bag on the breakfast bar while Stiles sat down on one of the stools.

“So, how was your day?” Derek asked.

Stiles made a face.

“What?”

“We sound so domestic,” Stiles said, smiling slightly.

Derek resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he took out food containers. Stiles was practically living at his house, they were bound to be a bit domestic. He sat down next to Stiles and they ate in comfortable silence. Derek’s eyes were trained on the gift bag that was sitting on the island. He had never been the patient type and the fact that it was right in front of him made it worse.

“Curious?” Stiles asked, nudging him in the side.

“Always,” Derek said, still looking at the gift bag.

They finished dinner and after stuffing their empty containers into the trash compactor (Lydia had insisted on one when they were doing the remodeling), Derek and Stiles made their way upstairs to the master bedroom. Stiles opened his present from Derek, grinning at the _Torchwood_ box set and immediately opening up the chocolates. Derek took his time with Stiles’ present, even though Stiles was practically bouncing up and down on the bed with impatience.

Derek grabbed the card that was on top of the tissue paper, but Stiles started shaking his head. “Read that last.”

“You’re supposed to open the card first,” Derek said.

“Yeah, well, not in this case,” Stiles said.

Derek shook his head, but placed the card on the bed beside him. He took the tissue paper out of the bag and looked inside. There was a new sketchbook, an expensive-looking drafting pencil (that he would have to price check later), and a thick book of architectural history. He was about to protest (because this was all too expensive) when Stiles grabbed the card and shoved it at him.

“Read it before you say anything,” Stiles said.

Derek opened the card (which was a cheesy Hallmark card with two cartoon wolves on the front with hearts around them) and read the short message in Stiles’ messy scrawl.

_No I’m not returning anything. I used Laura’s discount at the art store for the sketchbook, the pencil is secondhand, and I work at a bookstore, so I got a discount. Don’t argue. Just accept the gifts._

He looked up at Stiles with an unhappy look, but Stiles just urged him to keep reading the card.

_This card is also good for one round of phone sex._

Well, that got Derek’s attention.

“Phone sex, really?” Derek asked.

“We have yet to do it and the setup is perfect,” Stiles explained. “You’re in here, I’m in one of the guest bedrooms down the hall. We do the whole phone sex thing and then afterward I come in here and we cuddle.”

That… actually didn’t sound like a terrible idea. The idea of hearing Stiles lose control was appealing and so was being able to see him afterward, tired and sated.

“Okay,” Derek said, reaching into the pocket of his jeans and taking out his cellphone.

Stiles smiled and grabbed his own phone, heading toward the door. “I’ll call you when I’m ready.”

Derek got the presents off of the bed and turned off the overhead light before turning on the lamp next to his bed. He pulled down the covers and took off his jeans and shirt. Derek was just getting comfortable when his phone started to vibrate. He answered it and held it up to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Hey,” Stiles said from the other line.

“Hey,” Derek said back.

There was silence.

“Uh, so how do people usually start these things?” Stiles asked.

“I don’t know,” Derek said. “I’ve never had phone sex before.”

“Yeah, well I haven’t either.”

More silence.

“So, uh, what are you wearing?” Stiles asked.

The corner of Derek’s mouth quirked up. “Stiles, you just saw me.”

“Yeah, but have you taken anything off since I last saw you?”

“My shirt and my jeans.”

“All right, so what are you left with?”

“Just my underwear,” Derek said.

He could practically hear Stiles nodding from the other line. “Okay, what pair?”

“Your favorite pair,” Derek said, grabbing the band of them and pulling them down before kicking them off.

“How do you know I have a favorite pair?”

“Because whenever I wear these you always stare for a bit too long.”

“The gray ones that are really tight,” Stiles said.

“They’re not tight.”

“They _look_ tight.”

Derek smirked, reaching down to touch himself. It hadn’t been too long since he had last jacked off, but it had been a while since he’d actually taken his time with it.

“What about you?” Derek asked, brushing his hand lightly against his soft dick.

“Boxers,” Stiles said. “Red plaid.”

He knew that pair. It had been what Stiles had worn the first night he had slept over.

“I took my boxers off,” Derek said.

“You don’t wear boxers,” Stiles said, chuckling. “You wear _boxer briefs_.”

“Stiles, I just told you that I was naked and you can only focus on the fact that I called my underwear the wrong name?”

“Oh,” Stiles breathed. “So, your dick is like exposed right now?”

“Yes,” Derek said, placing a hand on his thigh. If they kept talking like this it was going to take forever for him to even get hard.

“I’ve never seen it before,” Stiles said, his tone conversational like he was talking about the weather. “You’ve seen mine before, remember?”

How could Derek forget? Stiles had been lying in his bed, jerking himself off. He hadn’t known at the time that Stiles knew Derek had been there, but that fact just added to the memory.

“Of course I do,” Derek said. “I thought about leaving and pretending I hadn’t seen anything.”

“Why didn’t you?” Stiles asked, his voice a bit shaky.

“Because you started fingering yourself.”

“That was the first time I had ever done that,” Stiles said.

And, okay, now they were getting somewhere. Derek brought his hand back to his dick, wrapping his hand around it and giving it a few strokes.

“Have you done it again?”

“Yeah, almost every time now,” Stiles said and his voice was sounding a bit heavy, like he was starting to touch himself.

Derek was almost completely hard now. He tightened his grip slightly, but slowed his strokes, wanting to make this last as long as possible.

“Tell me about it,” Derek said.

“Okay, uh,” Stiles said. “After that first time when you walked in on me I tried it again. I didn’t have any lube, so I just used my spit and it was weird, uncomfortable. I didn’t like it.”

There were rustling noises from the other line. It sounded like more than Stiles just taking off his boxers, but Derek assumed that he was getting under the covers.

“So, I drove ten miles away to a drugstore to get some lube,” Stiles said, his voice keeping a permanent shakiness now. “I couldn’t buy some in town because someone could have told my dad about it.”

Derek was hard now and he stopped stroking to fondle his balls a bit. He wanted this to last. He wanted to hear everything Stiles was saying, he wanted to hear Stiles’ voice shake and shatter as he touched himself.

“I tried it again,” Stiles continued. “And it still felt weird and uncomfortable, but then I hit my prostate and it felt so _fucking_ good. I added another finger and I… I imagined it was you.”

“ _Stiles_ ,” Derek groaned, taking his dick in his hand again and continuing to stoke.

“I did,” Stiles said, his breathing coming in heavier. “I’d wanted you for a while then, but I never really thought about what that meant. I never thought about you fucking me before.”

Stiles stopped talking after that and Derek just heard his pants and sharp gasps from the other line. So, Derek took the initiative.

“Do you have any idea how much I want that?” Derek asked. “How much I’ve thought about doing that to you?”

“N-No,” Stiles panted. “You should- you should tell me.”

“Sometimes I just think about it,” Derek said, now thrusting up into his hand, the tip of his cock coated with pre-cum. “Think about fucking you with my fingers. And doing _just_ that. I’d use three… maybe four. And I’d have you _shaking_ underneath me-.”

“ _Fuck,_ Derek.”

“-And, fuck, I’d have you begging for my cock,” Derek said. “I’d have you begging for it for so long that you wouldn’t even know your name, you’d just know mine-.”

As if on cue, Stiles gasped out Derek’s name and Derek grinned, rubbing his thumb over his head and groaning.

“-And you would just come apart,” Derek continued. “Begging for me to just fuck you already, but I still wouldn’t. I’d take my fingers out of you just when you’re right about to come from just them alone.”

And Stiles fucking _whined_ from the other end.

“I’d replace my fingers with my tongue,” Derek panted. “I’d, _fuck_ , I’d make you come like that. And when you’re done, after you’ve _finally_ gotten your release, then I’d fuck you.”

“ _Sh-Shit_.”

“God, I’d take you right then and there,” Derek said, his hips jerking almost violently into his hand now. “I’d _pound_ into you, not even thinking about it. I’d take you just like I know you’re made for.”

“ _Derek_!”

And that was all Derek needed to know that Stiles was coming. Derek himself was so fucking close, but Stiles had stopped from the other line. He had hung up on him and Derek was _so close_ that he just needed Stiles panting in his ear to make himself come.

The door to the bedroom opened and Stiles was standing there, flushed and wobbly on his feet with his boxers hanging low on his hips. He got onto the bed, kneeling on it, and Derek sat up, grabbing Stiles’ hips with his hands.

“Derek,” Stiles panted. “You haven’t even come yet, just let me-.”

“No,” Derek practically growled.

And then he was lapping at the cum on Stiles’ stomach. The bitter and salty taste of _Stiles_ flooded into his mouth and he groaned, biting at the soft, pale flesh. Stiles’ hand was tangled in his hair, looking down as Derek cleaned him.

“Please, just let me touch you,” Stiles breathed, pushing Derek away once he had finished. “I know you’re close, Derek.”

He couldn’t even protest. Stiles shoved against his shoulders and Derek was falling back on the bed, landing with a soft _thump_. It wasn’t even a full second until Stiles had a hand on him, stroking him hard and fast and _just right_. It had been so long since someone else had touched him. He hadn’t felt this in such a long time and this was Stiles and this-.

White burst in front of his eyes and Derek let out a whimper that he didn’t even recognize. His hips thrust forward into Stiles’ warm hand and he was gone, spilling all over his stomach and the hand wrapped around him.

Stiles stroked him through it, leaning forward and _just_ pressing his mouth against Derek’s. Derek opened his eyes to meet Stiles’ darkened ones and was about to say something (he didn’t know what the fuck he was going to say though) when Stiles ducked down. Derek felt a tongue against his stomach, licking up his cum just like Derek had done for him.

Derek ran a hand through Stiles’ hair and hummed in contentment as he finally came down from his high. Stiles finished his work and came back up to Derek, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth before pressing his forehead against Derek’s.

“You’re amazing,” Derek breathed, wrapping his arms around Stiles’ back.

“Pretty sure you’re the ‘mazing one,” Stiles slurred, a wide smile spread across his face.

“If you say so,” Derek said, leaning up to press his lips against Stiles’ sweaty forehead.

**OoOoOoO**

“I’m terrified,” Laura said.

“Why?” Derek asked.

Laura didn’t answer; she just put her face in her hands, shaking her head. Derek wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him.

It was mid-March and Laura had arrived at his house in the pouring rain with a grocery bag filled with every brand of pregnancy test available. Derek had let her in and she had marched straight to the bathroom on the first floor. After a few minutes she had allowed him to enter and there they were now.

Laura, being the trooper that she was, had peed on all eight of the sticks at the same time. She had set a timer on her phone and they were sitting on the edge of the bathtub, watching the time count down.

“I’m 27,” Laura said.

“That’s a good age to have a child,” Derek said. “Not too young, not too old.”

“Chris is 41,” she said.

“Well, that’s a bit old.”

She smiled at that before catching herself and forcing a frown. Derek bumped his hip against hers.

“You’re going to be a great mom,” he said. “You’re patient, kind, caring…”

“Please don’t be in love with me, Derek,” Laura said.

Derek laughed, shaking his head. “That’s a little incestuous, don’t you think?”

“Definitely,” she nodded.

She sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder. Derek looked at the countdown to see that there was barely a minute left. Laura noticed the time as well since she stiffened next to him.

“What if one of them is positive and the rest are negative?” she asked.

“Then you go to the doctor and get a more reliable test taken,” Derek said.

“What if I’m not pregnant?”

“Then you can talk to Chris about actually planning on having children.”

“What if I am pregnant?”

“Then you talk to Chris about keeping it or… not keeping it.”

“Oh, I have to keep it. I understand how some women can choose abortion, but I could never do that. And this is a baby that Chris and I have made together out of love and accident or not, it’s going to be so loved.”

The countdown had ended, but Derek didn’t interrupt Laura. Especially since she was going through some kind of breakthrough.

“I want to be pregnant,” she said. “I want a baby. God, I’d never thought I would actually say that, but I want a child. Even if I’m not pregnant now, I still want a baby. And I want you to be the godfather.”

Okay, he hadn’t been expecting that. “What?”

“I want you to be the godfather, Derek,” she said, turning to face him and taking his hand in hers. “You’d be so good at that.”

“Laura, I-.”

“Derek, I’m not looking at those tests until you agree to be the godfather of my unborn child.”

He wasn’t going to point out how threatening that statement sounded. But being the godfather of someone, having to protect someone so small seemed terrifying. Even if he was doing it for Laura, even if he fell in love with that child (which he most likely would), it still scared him.

But it would be a child that was a part of Laura. A part of his best friend and someone he couldn’t imagine his life without. He was closer to her than he was his own brother and God knew that he would do anything and everything for her.

“Yes, I will,” he said.

She threw her arms around him and he wrapped his arms around her right back. “Derek Elizabeth McHale, I love you!”

“Elizabeth is your middle name, Laura,” he said.

“Yeah, well I just now realized that I don’t know yours, so I used mine,” she shrugged, pulling back from him. “What’s yours?”

“James,” Derek said.

“Which is… your father’s name,” she said slowly. “Shit, Derek, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to- Oh, shi- shoot! I just swore in front of my unborn child.”

“I’m pretty sure it can’t hear you,” Derek said. “And we don’t even know if you’re pregnant.”

“’Derek James McHale’, of course that would be your name,” she said, completely ignoring Derek’s comment. “I bet people just look at you and hope that your name is like Sheldon Marvin Garfunkel or something. But no, that’s Derek James McHale.”

“Stop stalling, Laura.”

“Derek James McHale drives a Camaro and wears a leather jacket and lives in a mansion in the woods.”

“Laura.”

“He has an underage boyfriend who he likes to keep in his mansion for days at a time. He claims that they just watch British sci-fi shows, but the townspeople are skeptical.”

“I honestly don’t know where you’re going with this.”

“In fact, the townspeople are starting to suspect that Derek James McHale is a werewolf who claims his mate, before mentioned underage boyfriend, outside in the forest under the light of the full moon.”

“Okay, I’m checking the tests for you,” Derek said, standing up and taking all eight tests from the counter.

Laura froze next to him as he sat back down. He didn’t look at the tests, just at Laura. “You ready?”

“Yeah,” she nodded.

Derek looked at every test individually, checking the different boxes when he needed help reading the results. After he was done he placed the tests back on the counter.

“Well?” Laura said, clasping her hands in front of her.

“All eight of them are positive,” he said. “You should probably still go to the doctor, but I’m pretty positive that you’re pregnant.”

He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting. Her crying wasn’t unexpected, so when she started he wasn’t alarmed.

“I’m going to be a mom,” she said.

“Yeah, it looks that- _oomph_!”

Laura had practically thrown herself at Derek. He had just barely caught her as they wobbled on the side of the bathtub, almost falling over. “I’m going to be a mom and you’re going to be an uncle.”

“Godfather,” he corrected.

“Same thing!”

And there was no way he was going to argue with a pregnant woman (especially Laura) on that.

**OoOoOoO**

It was four days before Stiles’ birthday when the lake was finally put to good use. Of course, it was put to use by a bunch of teenagers, but at least someone was swimming in it. It was a Saturday and the first official day of the public schools’ spring break.

Scott had taken it upon himself to invite everyone over to Derek’s house to go swimming. So, at noon Derek had propped his front door open and let in any teenager that came by. It was just the usual bunch (Scott, Stiles, Allison, Lydia, Jackson, and Isaac) and one unfamiliar face. The teenager that Derek didn’t recognize was Jackson’s best friend, Danny. He had more manners than Jackson and had a peaceful presence about him. Derek could appreciate that.

The group of seven had been down at the lake for about an hour when Laura showed up, knocking on the door of the screened-in porch where Derek was trying to study for his finals. She let herself in and held up a pan.

“I made brownies!” she said, placing it on a glass coffee table in the center of the porch.

Laura was only nine weeks pregnant, so she wasn’t even showing yet. She had gotten her due date though, November 6th which was a day before Derek’s birthday.

“So, how’s babysitting coming along?” she asked, sitting on the loveseat.

“I’m not babysitting,” Derek said. “The lake is a five minute walk from the house, someone could have drowned for all I know.”

“That’s the spirit, Derek,” she said.

“Why are you here, Laura?” he asked.

“To bring the teenagers brownies and to give you a distraction from studying,” she shrugged.

“I don’t need a distraction, I need to focus.”

She held up her hands defensively before standing up. “Fine. I’ll just be on my way then.”

“Laura, I didn’t mean-.”

“No, Derek you need to study,” she said. “Call me when you’re done studying and then I can show you the ultrasound photo.”

Derek closed the textbook in front of him and all but shoved it onto the floor. Laura smiled and sat down on the armrest of his chair, digging through her purse. She pulled out an envelope and took a photo from it.

“This one is yours to keep,” she said, handing him the photo. “Put it on your fridge.”

He took the photo from her and squinted at it. “It looks like a peanut.”

“I think she looks like a cashew,” Laura said thoughtfully.

“She?”

“I have a very strong maternal feeling about my child being a girl,” Laura said. “Chris thinks it’s a boy, but the baby’s not inside of him, so his opinion doesn’t really count.”

Derek was about to hug her or tell her congratulations or actually put the photo on the fridge when the door to the porch opened. Stiles walked in wearing just his swim trunks with a t-shirt hanging over his shoulder.

“Stiles, come over here and tell me if my unborn child looks like a peanut or a cashew,” Laura said.

Apparently this was a perfectly normal thing to ask because Stiles just shrugged and walked over to them, glancing down at the photo. “Definitely a cashew.”

“Told you!” Laura said, tapping Derek on the head with the photo.

“How big is the baby?” Stiles asked.

“About the size of a grape,” Laura said, standing up. “Well, I’ve got to go.”

“Laura, you can stay,” Derek said. “You’re right, I could use a break from studying.”

“That’s sweet of you, Derek, but I’ve got a shift at the art store,” she said. “The new kid and I have an ongoing bet on how long it’ll take for Mrs. Parkinson to come in and start begging to see you.”

“You’re hilarious,” Derek said dryly as Laura kissed the top of his head.

She turned to Stiles and he smiled at her, outstretching his arms for a hug. Laura looked like she was about to hug him when she scrunched up her nose. “You’re covered in lake water.”

Stiles’ arms dropped to his side and Laura kissed the tips of her fingers before patting his cheek. “I’ll see you two later.”

And with that Laura was walking into the house to make her way to the front.

“It’s cool that you got a picture,” Stiles said, sitting on the armrest that Laura had just been sitting on.

Derek put his hands on Stiles’ hips and dragged him onto his lap, wrapping his arms around his waist and leaning him back. “Yeah, it’s definitely making the fridge.”

Stiles hummed in agreement, turning in Derek’s lap so that he could press his head against his shoulder. Derek brought a hand up to run through Stiles’ wet hair, making it stand up at odd angles.

“Are you nervous about Wednesday?” Derek asked.

“A bit,” Stiles shrugged. “Mostly excited.”

It was impossible for Derek not to smile at that. Derek himself was pretty nervous, but it felt right. Everything felt right with Stiles and he knew that on Wednesday everything would just fall into place.

“Uh, I actually want to ask you something about that,” Stiles said.

“What?”

“Well, I know that you’ve been with a lot of other people, which is fine,” Stiles said, adding the last part quickly. “That’s actually a little reassuring since you know what you’re doing and I have no idea.”

“You’ll be fine,” Derek said. “It’s mostly just instinct.”

“Yeah, I get that,” Stiles nodded. “But, uh, and I feel really awkward for asking and it might be a bit rude to ask, but… You’ve been tested, right?”

Derek was about to point out that it wasn’t a rude thing to ask at all, that it was actually a smart thing to ask. Stiles jumped ahead of him though and went into full-out rambling mode.

“I trust that you have safe sex and everything. But with some people you just never know and I want to be certain. But I’m not saying that if you _do_ have something that I won’t have sex with you or stop wanting to be with you or whatever. Because there’s no way I’ll ever stop wanting you. Like seriously, I’m getting super antsy and it’s only four days away, but I want it so badly. Derek, I just… Oh, God, it sounds like I’m begging for sex. I’m not begging, I’m not desperate… okay maybe I’m a little desperate, but-.”

“I’m clean.”

“-Have you looked in the mirror lately, because who could not beg- wait, what?”

“I’ve been tested,” Derek assured. “I haven’t been with anyone since the summer before last, but I got tested again in January just to be safe. I’m completely clean.”

“Oh,” Stiles said, blinking at Derek. “Oh, that’s good. That’s _really_ good. Okay, wow, there goes a load off of my mind.”

“Less nervous now?”

“Actually, yes,” Stiles nodded. “Now I’m just anxious.”

“You’re staying the night on Tuesday, right?” Derek asked, pressing his lips to Stiles’ shoulder.

“Yeah,” Stiles breathed. “So, first thing on Wednesday morning…”

Derek just looked at him and grinned.

**OoOoOoO**

It wasn’t first thing on Wednesday morning, because Derek woke up on Wednesday morning alone. The bed was warm next to him and Stiles’ backpack was on the floor, but other than that there was no sign of Stiles. Derek got out of bed, pulled on a pair of sweatpants and brushed his teeth.

He then headed downstairs to the first floor and saw Stiles in the kitchen, making pancakes and wearing a pair of flannel pajama pants. Derek instantly thought of the beach house almost two years ago. Back when he looked, but didn’t touch. Back when he was so in denial that he couldn’t think straight. Now he could touch as much as he wanted, he could feel Stiles in every way possible.

“Why are you making breakfast on your birthday?” Derek asked, running a hand down Stiles’ back.

“Because I wanted pancakes and it didn’t look like you were going to wake up anytime soon,” Stiles shrugged.

Derek sighed, bringing his other hand up to Stiles’ face, turning his head toward him. “Come here.”

When their mouths pressed together, Stiles made this high, needy whine in the back of his throat. It was probably the most erotic thing Derek had ever heard and he swallowed it completely, gripping Stiles’ face and tilting his head back. It felt so fucking good to finally be able to kiss him. To kiss that mouth that he had only touched once.

Stiles’ hands were frantic, not knowing where to go as they touched all over Derek’s body. It was probably the result of holding back for so long. They were both so desperate that they needed everything at once.

Derek pushed his tongue into Stiles’ mouth and Stiles met him halfway, sliding their tongues together. Stiles groaned, pressing himself up against Derek and, _fuck,_ he was already hard. Derek grabbed Stiles’ ass and pressed him even more against him, pushing him back against the counter.

“Derek,” Stiles gasped when they finally parted for air, gripping Derek’s hips as he rutted against him harder. “I’m not gonna-.”

“It’s fine,” Derek said, taking his earlobe between his teeth. “I want you to.”

His mouth found Stiles’ again, not really being able to even kiss properly. Derek just mashed their mouths together and Stiles groaned, hips canting up toward Derek’s as Derek ground down even more. Stiles’ fingernails dug into Derek’s hips and he let out a broken moan, taking his mouth away from Derek’s to lean his head back, almost banging it against the cabinet.

Derek pressed open mouthed kisses on Stiles’ neck as he panted, eyes closed and pale skin flushed. The front of his pajama pants were damp and he brought his hands up to Derek’s shoulders, squeezing.

“I think I’m going to fall over,” he said once he found his voice again.

“Mm, go ahead,” Derek said, nipping at his collarbone.

Stiles looked down between them and frowned. “Derek, you didn’t even-.”

“Don’t worry about- _Stiles_.”

It was too late though, because Stiles was already pushing against Derek’s shoulders and getting down on his knees. Just the sight of him there was bringing Derek closer to the edge. He gripped the edge of the counter as Stiles grabbed the waistband of his sweatpants and underwear, pulling them down.

“I’ve never done this before,” Stiles warned. “So, if I suck, I’m sorry.”

“You really shouldn’t apologize for sucking.”

Stiles glared. Derek shrugged. “You practically gave that one to me, Stiles.”

He responded to that by taking the base of Derek in his hand and wrapping his mouth around the head. And, _fuck_ , Derek should get a medal for not thrusting right into his mouth. Stiles was soft and wet and warm and so utterly perfect. And also completely inexperienced.

His hand was good on the base, tight and warm, turning _just right_ when he needed to. Everything else was less than perfect. Stiles bobbed up and down a bit and Derek thought he was going to lose it right there and just let go, when a scrape of teeth ran over him. He inhaled a sharp breath, his grip tightening on the countertop.

“No teeth, Stiles,” he said and Stiles almost instantly went back to bobbing. “Mm, there you go.”

Stiles came back up to his head, tonguing at the slit and pre-cum collected there. Derek felt that familiar warming sensation in the base of his spine and he knew he was close. Stiles came off of him with a soft pop before working him with his hand. This was good, this was familiar and easy.

Derek didn’t even thrust into his hand a full three times before he was coming. Stiles worked him through it, not stopping until he was soft and panting loudly.

“Sorry that kind of-,” Stiles started once he stood back up.

He was cut off by Derek grabbing the back of his neck and pushing their mouths together. The taste of pre-cum was prominent in Stiles’ mouth and Derek explored it with his tongue, stroking against the roof of his mouth, his gums, and teeth. He pulled away from him, still panting, looking at Stiles through half-lidded eyes.

“That was good,” Derek said. “That was perfect, _you’re_ perfect.”

Stiles looked less sure, so Derek just kissed him again, pressing him against the counter once more. Hands were pressing against his back, running over his sweat-coated skin. God, he had waited so long for this, but Stiles had waited longer. And Derek wanted to give him everything. He wanted to give him everything he could possibly think of.

The plan was to do just that when the smell of something burning reached his nose.

“Shit!” Stiles cried, prying himself from Derek and going over to the stove.

The pancake that had been cooking was black and crispy as it sizzled in the pan. Stiles hurriedly turned the stove off and grabbed the pan by the handle, placing it on a trivet.

“Well, there goes breakfast,” Stiles said, placing his hands on his hips and looking at the ruined pancake.

Derek chuckled, pulling his pants and underwear back up and grabbing a dishtowel to wipe the cum off of him. “I think we can skip breakfast.”

He grabbed Stiles by the hips and pulled him back against him, grinding into Stiles’ ass. Stiles leaned back into him, breath hitching in his throat.

“You ready?” Derek asked, reaching around to cup Stiles through the damp fabric.

“Y-Yeah,” Stiles nodded. “Just- just go up there first. There’s… stuff in my backpack.”

“What kind of stuff?” Derek asked, slipping his free hand under the fabric of his pajama pants, pleased to find that he wasn’t wearing any underwear.

“You know,” Stiles said. “You _always_ know. Just go upstairs and, _oh fuck right there._ ”

Derek had the pad of his pointer finger pressed against Stiles’ hole, rubbing it in circles and _just_ slipping inside. Stiles was pressing back into it, trying to get more, but Derek took his hand away, dropping a kiss on his shoulder. He heard Stiles whine at the loss.

“Derek, please just-.”

“What do you have in your backpack, Stiles?”

“I hate you,” Stiles breathed. “You are the worst boyfriend in the world.”

Derek pressed his hand harder against Stiles’ crotch and he all but bucked into him. “Fine, I’ve got like eight types of lube and a shit ton of condoms.”

“Eight types?” Derek asked, arching an eyebrow.

“I didn’t know which was best.”

“All right,” Derek said. “Meet me up there when you’re ready.”

He reluctantly stepped away from Stiles, forcing himself to leave the kitchen and make his way up to the third floor. They had the entire day and Derek wasn’t going to rush anything. He planned on taking his time with Stiles, he wanted to make it last and wanted to make it as good for Stiles as he possibly could.

Derek reached the bedroom and grabbed Stiles’ backpack from the floor. He unzipped the biggest pocket and looked inside to see… not condoms and lube. Instead there was a ton of brochures and booklets and pencils and key chains and even a little flag, all with Stanford plastered across them. At the bottom was an envelope, and Derek knew that he shouldn’t. He knew that Stiles would tell him eventually and that he should just zip it back up and open the other section.

He grabbed the envelope and took the letter out and of course he had gotten in and of course he had gotten a full scholarship.

“It’s illegal to open someone else’s mail.”

Stiles was standing in the door, arms folded across his chest and looking at the envelope in Derek’s hands.

“It was already open,” Derek said.

“It doesn’t matter anyway,” Stiles said, sitting down next to Derek on the bed. “I’m going to the city college with you and Allison. I can move in with you and-.”

“Stiles, if you’re not going to Stanford, then why do you have all of this?”

“My dad got most of it when he found out I got in,” Stiles said. “It’s nothing.”

It wasn’t nothing though. Because Stiles had gotten a full scholarship and he was looking almost mournfully at the acceptance letter. And Stiles had always wanted to leave Beacon Hills.

“You want to go,” Derek said.

“I don’t need to go to Stanford to get a teaching degree.”

“But you want to go.”

“Yeah, but I also don’t want you to be alone.”

“Stiles, what are you even-?”

“Scott has Allison, your mom has my dad, Laura has Mr. Argent,” Stiles listed off. “If I leave then you’re all alone and I _never_ want you to be alone. I can’t leave-.”

“Go home, Stiles.”

“-You, Derek, I- what?”

“Go home,” Derek repeated. “Go home and spend your birthday with your father and Scott and everyone else.”

Stiles just looked at him, tilting his head like he hadn’t heard him right. Like Derek had slurred his words together or said something in a tone that was hard to decipher.

“What are you talking about?” Stiles asked.

“Go home, Stiles,” Derek said. “Get dressed and go home.”

And of course Stiles fought him on it.

“No,” he said. “No, no fucking way! You’re not doing this, Derek. I’m not leaving-.”

“Yes, you are,” Derek said. “You’re going.”

“You can’t just do this, Derek.”

“Yes, I can,” Derek said. “It wasn’t a request. Just leave.”

He couldn’t look at Stiles. It was physically impossible for Derek to look at him. So, he hanged his head and waited. He shut his eyes as tightly as he could and waited.


	3. Chapter 3

 

“How’s the apartment?” Laura asked.

“Small and loud,” Derek said, sitting down on the tiny bed in the corner. “I like it.”

“You only like it because you’re not at home,” she sighed.

“That’s… not untrue,” he said slowly.

“Did you get a job?”

“Yeah, at a bar a couple blocks away.”

“Ooh, living the glamorous New York life, are we?”

“Something like that,” Derek said, pulling back a ratty curtain to see the loud and crowded city below.

There was silence from the other line and Derek wondered if she had hung up on him. She sighed again though, as if she knew what he was listening for. He missed her, but there was no way he was going to say that. If he said that she would just start yelling at him again.

“Come back home, Derek,” she said, voice barely above a whisper.

“You know I can’t.”

“You’re ridiculous,” she groaned. “Absolutely, stupidly, idiotically, kind of romantically, selflessly and selfishly ridiculous. You’re a contradiction, Derek. You contradict everything.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No you’re not.”

He really wasn’t.

“I’m the only one who gets why you’re doing this,” she said. “Everyone is mad at you.”

“If I’m there he won’t leave.”

“I know,” Laura sighed. “I get it, you’re giving him his choice, I understand.”

There was more silence and Derek looked into a cardboard box. Laura sighed again, another indicator that she was still there.

“I talked to him yesterday,” she said.

“Oh?”

“He asked me how you were doing, I said you were fine,” she said. “He gave me a message to pass on to you.”

“What?” Derek asked, sitting up a little straighter.

“He said to fuck yourself.”

Derek smiled. Of course Stiles would say that. Because Stiles was angry and mad and hated him more than anything right now. And that was good, because Stiles needed to do what he wanted to do for once in his life. He shouldn’t have any tethers holding him down.

“You’re smiling, aren’t you?”

“I love him so much, Laura.”

“I know you do, honey.”

“I’ll be back for graduation,” he said.

“That’s a month and a half away,” she said.

“And I’ll be back for the baby being born.”

“I’d kill you if you weren’t.”

He cradled the phone between his cheek and shoulder, dumping the contents of a cardboard box onto the bed.

“So, what’s the whole plan?” she asked.

“I stay away until he graduates from college and then I’m going back,” he said. “I’ll be here for four years, that’s it.”

“What if he doesn’t want you anymore when you get back?”

“Then… that’s just the way things will have to be.”

She was shaking her head. He knew that she was shaking her head. It was for the best though. Stiles needed to make his own decisions based on what he himself wanted. And if the best way for that to happen was for Derek to move to the opposite side of the country, so be it.

“See a Broadway show for me,” she said. “Eat a superior bagel. Go to the top of the Empire State Building. Visit that fancy art museum that looks like a giant seashell.”

“The Guggenheim?”

“That’s the one,” she said.

The cardboard box was filled with old folders that he had kept from earlier college years. When he had packed he had done it quickly and carelessly, he had put everything he could get his hands on in boxes. He flipped through old essays and lab outlines, listening for Laura’s sigh to know that she was still there.

She sighed.

“Promise me one thing,” she said.

“Anything.”

“Promise me that you’ll come back and you’ll stay and if he doesn’t want you that you’ll at least fight for him.”

“That’s the plan, Laura.”

“I know, I know,” she said. “Just promise me, Derek.”

“I promise.”

He opened up one of the folders and an envelope was wedged inside. Derek took it out, noticing that it was blank except for the stamp of his college on it.

“I’ll talk to you soon,” she said.

“I know,” he said.

He heard the dial tone from the other line. Derek ended the call and put his phone on the bed. He opened up the envelope and unfolded it.

_From the desk of Aria Stilinski_

He shoved it back into the envelope. Derek had forgotten all about the recommendation letter she had written him for the architecture program. His advisor had made him a copy and he had never read it.

And now he didn’t know if he ever could.

 

**OoOoOoO**

Derek wrote down all of the things that Laura wanted him to do in New York. He could easily do them all in one day, but he wanted to spread them out, make sure he got a good story for each event so that he could tell her when he saw her again.

The bar that he worked at was pretty upscale (and he knew that he only got the job because of the way he looked). It was mostly frequented by business men and housewives looking for some company. Every night there was someone flirting with him and he always flirted back. It was beyond easy to make good tips like that, but that was all. Just a compliment here or there, making his fingers linger for a bit too long as he handed someone their drink. It was good money and he made a lot more there than at the art store and the bar back home combined.

He had been there for a week when he finally did the first thing on his list for Laura. He bought a ticket to a random show (something about Mormons) a week in advance and went to it one night after work. He wasn’t big on theater (and musicals were even worse), but this one wasn’t too bad. It was funny and all he could think about was how much Stiles would have liked it.

His landlord was an asshole. Derek always paid his rent on time, but he kept making up excuses to bug Derek. He hated living in an apartment for more reasons than just his landlord, but he told himself that that was the only reason why. He didn’t miss a big house that was only surrounded by trees and nature and blessed silence. He didn’t miss the comfy bed that smelled like citrus and mint and sometimes cinnamon, even though Derek wasn’t the one who smelled like that.

Laura was right; the bagels were superior. He got the most expensive one he could find. It was some kind of cinnamon thing with cream cheese that tasted more like icing than actual cream cheese. He ate it in Central Park, watching as tourists fed squirrels and got street artists to paint pictures of them. The bagel was gooey and sweet and he didn’t even finish it. Stiles probably would’ve eaten it in five seconds flat.

The Camaro had stayed in Beacon Hills inside of his garage. Laura had promised to watch the house for him, so he wasn’t worried. A car would be completely impractical in New York as well. He took the subway or walked everywhere. Derek had gotten into a taxi once because it was raining and he still had three blocks to walk until he made it back to the apartment. He probably would have gotten back sooner if he had walked.

The Empire State Building was crowded and when Derek finally made it to the top (his ears popping in the elevator on the way up), he could barely even move. There were plenty of tall buildings in New York, so what was so special about this one? He almost had to fight his way to the edge to look out of the window and when he got there… Well, okay, that was kind of amazing. The view looked out for what felt like forever, the entire city below him seeming so small and far away. Stiles would have been taking a thousand pictures.

He was in an art store buying a new sketchbook when he saw her. She had long brown hair and freckles and big expressive eyes and perfect pouty lips and he had definitely been staring too long.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer!” she said to him, smiling a wide smile.

Derek placed the sketchbook back on the rack and left the store.

It was like he couldn’t go anywhere without thinking about him. He couldn’t go to a single place without finding something that reminded him of Stiles. He had gone to the other side of the country, but Stiles was still there.

So, he went to the Guggenheim, because Stiles had never really understood art. Derek went there to see the paintings and the sculptures and to be in awe of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture. He went there for himself because art was something that he loved and appreciated and found comfort in.

He was looking through a gallery of modern artists, half listening to what the guide was saying when he saw it. He felt like screaming and crying at the same time, because _couldn’t someone just give him a fucking break_?

It was an oil painting, simple and gorgeous and practically ripping him apart inside. A little boy was sitting in the grass, wearing a red hoody and smiling. He was smiling at a big black wolf that was looking at the boy with what had to be fondness. There was a white triskelion on the wolf’s side.

 _The Protector  
_ Aria Stilinski

And he was crying. He was crying in public in a place that he respected and had thought about going to for years. Because of course Aria knew. Of course she knew when Stiles was just 12 years-old and Derek was just 19. Everyone had probably known, but no one better than Aria.

Because Derek had let her in. He had probably shown her more of his heart than anyone else other than Stiles. It was impossible for anyone to know his heart better than Stiles since Derek had given it to him. And he hadn’t given it to him when he had told him that he loved him or kissed him or held him or _built a fucking house with him_. He had given Stiles his heart when he saw him get that tattoo and when they watched _Torchwood_ together or when he drove him to the hospital every day after school to see his mother.

Aria always knew. She always knew that Derek was in love with her son. And this was her giving her blessing. That it was _okay_.

“Um, sir,” a voice said from behind him.

He turned around to face a concerned-looking woman in the museum’s uniform. “Is everything all right?”

“Yeah,” he sniffed, wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt. “I just- I knew the artist.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that she passed away,” the woman said. “This painting’s my favorite in the museum. It’s a very different take on _Little Red Riding Hood_.”

Derek just nodded, because that was probably how people saw it. He apologized to her for making a scene and then walked out of the museum.

 

**OoOoOoO**

He opened the letter a week later. It was after a long shift at work and he sat down at his tiny kitchen table in his tiny kitchen in his tiny apartment. He couldn’t stop thinking about the painting and he couldn’t stop thinking about her and he couldn’t stop thinking about the letter.

So, he grabbed the envelope and took it out and unfolded it in front of him. He knew why it had taken him so long to read it. It was because these were her last words to him. These weren’t words to the university, recommending him for the architecture program, these were words for Derek. Once he read these words she would gone completely. And it was about time that he put her to rest.

_To whom it may concern,_

_I am writing this letter in hope of convincing you in accepting Derek McHale into the architecture program at this university. First, I would like to say that I graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a Bachelor in Fine Arts. I have also submitted a piece to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and several other pieces in museums around the country. I know that this doesn’t exactly make me an expert in architecture, but I am well-qualified in seeing “who has it”._

_I’ve known Derek McHale roughly three years. He’s the older brother of my son’s best friend and I’m also close to his mother. This may seem like a strange way of knowing a person, but I’ve gotten to know him very well throughout the years. He’s had to grow up a lot sooner than most kids his age due to some personal issues, but I feel like he would have grown up like that anyway._

_He is a mature and responsible adult and I have trusted him on numerous occasions to look after my son. This is probably getting too personal for a professional letter, but I’ve been diagnosed with Breast Cancer and I probably won’t make it much longer. I know that he will protect my son and if you can’t trust a mother’s opinion on these things, then I don’t know what you can trust._

_Moving on to Derek’s work, it’s beyond brilliant. I’m assuming you’ve seen his portfolio and since I’m no expert at architecture, I won’t go on for too long about that. But he has a certain way about him, doesn’t he? Most young architects want to make their mark by inventing a new style or a new structure or building something completely innovative and new. Derek wants to improve what’s already here. He wants to make things better and more beautiful. I’ve seen countless sketches of his and they’re always of existing buildings and how he wants to help them rather than tear them down and starting new._

_Derek is a preserver. He wants to hold onto everything and make it so it’s okay again. I admire that in more ways anyone could possibly know. And that’s what everything is about these days, isn’t it? Preserving the times so that they won’t get lost in the future? I believe that Derek can do that. I believe that that is what he wants to do._

_Work ethic-wise, Derek is always prompt and on time. I’m sure you can look this up in your records, but he never misses classes and is always on time. He works at the local art store in Beacon Hills and I’ve seen him working when he was sick. He’s strong and completely capable of keeping up with the workload. Yes, he does have a lot of responsibilities out of the classroom, but I have never seen anyone juggle so many things at once and do it so flawlessly._

_In conclusion, Derek is very different from most people his age. These differences are all positive reasons for you to accept him into your program though. He is an exceptional architect and, as every good architect should be, he is a dedicated artist._

_Thank you for your consideration,  
Aria Stilinski_

She had always had that way about her. Aria had always known just what to say and when to say it. According to the date on the letter she had written this a day before she had passed away. This could have been the last thing she had written, it wasn’t unlikely.

Aria was right, because Aria was always right. Derek didn’t start over and make something new. He clung to the past, he wanted to take care of it and preserve it. He had already done that with the Hale house and now he had to do it with something else.

First thing in the morning was when he was going to start preserving the thing in his life that meant the most.

 

  **OoOoOoO**

The next morning he went back to the Guggenheim. He made his way to the modern art section and sought out Aria’s painting. He found it easily enough and stood in front of it, looking at it.

If he ignored what the painting was of he could really get a sense of Aria out of it. The brushstrokes were careless in the background, but precise and neat on the boy and the wolf. Parts of it were raised slightly, uneven bumps where the paint had purposely or accidently clumped.

He reached out, running his thumb across a red bump, part of the boy’s hoody, when the same woman from last week approached him.

“Sir, excuse me, but please don’t touch the painting,” she said before stopping to look at him. “Oh, you’re the man from before. The one who knew the artist.”

“I want to buy this painting,” he said.

Derek turned his head to look at her and her face was exactly what he thought it would be. She looked confused, as if she hadn’t heard him right, and then even more confused when she realized that she had heard him right.

“It’s not for sale.”

“Money isn’t a problem,” he said.

“It’s on hold,” she said. “An art collector from France has already bought it. We’re shipping it out tomorrow.”

“I’ll match the price and you can ship it out to the address I give you tomorrow instead.”

“Sir, I know that this painting might be important to you, but I can’t just let you buy it.”

“You said that this painting was your favorite in the museum.”

She nodded slowly, clearly not knowing where Derek was going with this.

“You said that you thought that it was a take on _Little Red Riding Hood_.”

“Yes,” she said.

Derek turned around so that his back was facing her. He pulled his shirt over his head. At first she started to protest and then she was completely silent behind him. They were drawing attention now and Derek saw a few security guards from the corner of his eye making their way toward them.

“You’re the wolf,” she said softly.

He turned around and slipped the shirt back over his head. Derek couldn’t place her expression now, but she looked almost cautious, maybe even a little in awe.

“Like I said, I have the money,” he said. “Just tell me the amount.”

“I can’t-.”

“I don’t want this painting being hung in some art collector’s gallery,” Derek said. “Aria wouldn’t want that.”

She scrutinized him before slowly nodding her head, gesturing for him to follow her. She led him to an office on the top floor where he paid for the painting and wrote down the address he wanted it to be shipped it. He was just finishing up when she asked him a question.

“Who’s the boy in the red hoody?”

Derek looked up at her from the forms he was filling out. “He’s everything.”

That seemed to be enough for her.

When he left the Guggenheim he called Peter Hale who picked up on the first ring. “You’re paying me back.”

“I said that I would,” Derek said. “I’m good for it.”

“And I don’t doubt that, lover boy,” Peter said. “It’s a romantic gesture, I can appreciate that.”

“It’s more than just a gesture,” Derek said.

“I know, I know,” Peter said and Derek could practically see him rolling his eyes. “Laura told me all about you moving across the country so that Stiles would do something for himself for once. That’s very noble, Derek, and also very stupid.”

He really hoped that Peter could tell that he was rolling his eyes at him as well.

“You’d do just about anything for that boy, wouldn’t you?”

“I’d do anything, not just about,” Derek said.

“He could tell you to stop breathing and you probably would.”

It was obviously meant as a joke, but Derek couldn’t bring himself to deny it. Peter seemed to realize this as well since there was a sharp inhale from the other line.

“ _Jesus,_ ” Peter said. “You do realize how unhealthy that is, don’t you?”

“Thanks for the loan,” Derek said. “I’ll pay you back.”

“I know, you already said that, Derek.”

“I’m just making sure that you know.”

And with that Derek hung up the phone, not caring that Peter was probably going to tell Laura about Derek basically saying that he would commit suicide if Stiles told him to.

At least he wasn’t the one with the Hades/Persephone complex.

 

**OoOoOoO**

The Beacon Hills High School graduation was one week away and Derek bought his roundtrip plane tickets a week in advance. The plan was to get there the night before and for Laura to pick him up at the airport. He would go to the house and sleep there for the night and then go to the graduation in the morning. He would stay the night once more and Laura would drive him to the airport in the morning.

He would get in and then get out and everything would be fine.

His phone started vibrating on the kitchen table and Derek just looked at it. Laura was the only person who even called him anymore except for his mother on occasion. He had just gotten off the phone with Laura. Had she forgotten to tell him something?

Derek answered the call without looking at the caller ID and held the phone up to his ear.

He didn’t even get the chance to say hello.

“You have got some _fucking_ nerve, Derek,” Stiles all but hissed from the other line. “You had no right to send that painting here. To remind my father, who is finally happy with someone else, about her. No, not remind him, because she’s always there, but to… but to send that here. And where the fuck did you even find it and how did you pay for it and you know what? I don’t want to know. I’m getting your address from Laura and I’m sending it back to you because- oh, fuck of course I’m not going to do that.

“I’m keeping it. I’m keeping it because this is my mom and this is… us. Fuck, Derek, it’s us. God, did she always know? Of course she knew, she knew everything.”

Derek didn’t talk to fill in the silence. He just slid down against the kitchen wall to sit on the tile floor, listening to Stiles.

“I’m only going to say this once,” Stiles continued. “And I’m too scared to say it to your face and I’m too scared to say it when I’m not just talking _at_ you.”

There was a silence again and Derek knew that Stiles was testing him, making sure he didn’t say anything.

“I was crazy about Lydia for exactly one year,” Stiles said. “We had always gone to the same elementary school, but the third grade was the first class we had together. She was smart and beautiful and absolutely terrifying, so how was I supposed to resist? And everything was great for the third grade because I was crazy about this amazing girl.

“I didn’t really have any friends. I was loud and talkative, but I didn’t really have anyone I could _talk_ to. I entered the fourth grade and I saw Scott and he was the new kid and I knew it was my chance. This was my chance to actually have somebody. Lydia was still beautiful for the first two days of school and then I went over to Scott’s on the second day of school and I met you.

“You were this almost 16 year-old and my only friend’s older brother and you made the worst hamburger macaroni in the world. And if you had asked me who Lydia Martin was the moment I saw you I would have had no fucking clue. Because that’s how hard I fell, Derek. That’s how fast I loved you.

“And we started being friends and you liked _Doctor Who_ and you dated Kate, but she broke your heart and I was so stupidly happy because of that. Then my mom got sick and you started sleeping with anything that walked and I didn’t know what to do.

“Then my mom died and you weren’t there anymore. I never blamed you, but I knew that you blamed yourself. And we didn’t talk for years, but then Scott practically forced me to go to Friday night dinner and there you were, Derek. And everything was so good for so long and I was so happy that I could just be next to you again.

“On the premiere for the sixth _Doctor Who_ season we went out to get pizza and I told you I wanted to be a teacher and you said that you thought I would be good at it. And that’s when I knew I was in love with you. We went to the beach and shared rooms and I thought I was going to die, because I was so fucking close and so far away from you.

“You kissed me on New Year’s Eve and you tried to say that it was nothing, but I knew it was something. Derek, I know you. I know you better than anyone and I don’t know why you’re doing this. Yes, I want to go to Stanford, yes I want to get out of Beacon Hills, but I want to be with you more."

Maybe this was the time that Derek was supposed to say something. He didn’t though, just gripped the phone tighter and waited for Stiles to finish.

“When you come into town next week for graduation, I don’t want to see you,” Stiles said. “I want you to stay away from me.”

There was a click and a dial tone.

 

**OoOoOoO**

Laura was standing in the airport lobby with a sign that had his name on it. He honestly didn’t know why he was surprised by that. She looked beautiful (like always) with her hair pulled back and one hand resting on a small baby bump. She had told him that she was about 15 weeks along the last time they had talked on the phone and she had e-mailed him a copy of the latest ultrasound. It was on his fridge in the apartment.

When Laura finally saw him he was still on the other side of the lobby. She waved at him and he waved back and then they were just kind of awkwardly staring at each as he walked to the other side of the lobby. Laura got her phone out and texted someone. His phone vibrated in his pocket.

**_Do you want to act like you’re my husband who just got back from a business trip?_ **

**_Not particularly._ **

**_Too bad. Come over here and spin me around like they do in all of those Julie Andrews movies._ **

Derek looked up at her and shook his head. She frowned and went back to typing on her phone.

**_We’re obviously not going to kiss! Just rub my stomach and tell me how much you missed me._ **

**_I planned on doing that anyway._ **

She smiled at him and he quickened his pace. He had probably missed her more than anyone (except for Stiles who he was supposed to stay away from). Laura had always been this constant presence to him and being away from her had taken a toll on him.

When he finally reached her he didn’t even wait for a greeting. Derek placed his hands on her hips, hoisted her up, and spun her around a few times. Her hands pressed against his shoulders and when he put her down she coiled her arms around his neck.

“I missed you so much, my beautiful idiot,” she said.

“I missed you too,” Derek said, pulling away from her to look at her stomach. “How’s being pregnant?”

“Easy,” she said. “I don’t know how so many women complain about it.”

He raised an eyebrow at her.

“Okay, it’s not the most convenient thing in the world, but… it’s nice,” she said. “Chris has been taking really good care of me and, well…”

She held up her left hand and it was impossible for Derek to miss the engagement ring on her finger.

“The wedding is in December and you’re my Man of Honor, so don’t even try to skip out on it,” she said.

“Laura, I’m not going to miss your wedding,” he said. “I’ll be there wearing whatever suit you want me to wear and doing whatever the hell you want me to do. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, Derek,” she said, hugging him again. “Just don’t be like Patrick Dempsey in that one movie where you end up being in love with me.”

“Yeah, that’s definitely not going to happen.”

They left the airport and Laura drove Derek to the house which was a good 40 minutes away. He sat quietly next to her while she filled him in on the details of what had been happening around town. He was only half-listening though. He was three hours ahead due to time difference and it was already night time in Beacon Hills. All he could think about was getting to his bed.

Laura pulled into his driveway and parked right at the front door. He was about to get out and thank her for the ride when she grabbed his hand to stop him.

“I’ve had someone coming in to check on the house and to clean it up weekly,” she said.

“Thanks, Laura,” he said, trying to get out of the car, but her grip on him only tightened.

“I don’t know when the last time you two talked was, but…” she said. “He wants to see you. I know it’s not my place to say, but I know that he wants to see you.”

“I really don’t think he does,” Derek said, taking his hand out of her grasp. “Thanks for the ride, Laura.”

She couldn’t get another word out because Derek was closing the car door and walking up the porch steps. He unlocked the door and walked inside to see the house exactly like he had left it. Derek headed up to the third floor and all but collapsed onto his bed.

Except his bed didn’t smell like laundry detergent, but like citrus and mint and cinnamon and everything that Derek didn’t smell like. He sat up and instantly left the room, heading toward the guest room next door. The bed smelled like lavender laundry detergent and everything seemed clean and almost sterile.

He fell asleep almost instantly.

The graduation was at one o’clock in the afternoon at the high school. Beacon Hills High was a small school and the graduating class would have just over 100 kids in it. Derek arrived at 12:45 and spotted his mother and Scott instantly. He was about to go over there when the Sheriff showed up beside them and there was no way he could go over there now.

Laura and Chris were already sitting down in foldout chairs, so Derek made his way toward them instead. He sat in the seat next to Laura, right on the outside aisle.

“Hey,” he said, kissing her cheek and nodding at Chris.

“Hi,” she said. “I saw you running away from your mom as soon as John showed up.”

“Yeah, with your tail between your legs,” Chris said, smirking at Derek.

Sometimes Derek just really wanted to hit him.

“I’ll talk to my mom afterward, but right now I just want to stay away from every Stilinski here.”

Laura looked like she was about to retort, but then she was looking at something behind him. Derek turned around just in time to block the punch Scott was sending his way.

“Scott, what the hell are you-?”

“You are such an asshole!” Scott said, taking his fist out of Derek’s grasp and slapping him over the head instead.

“Why exactly?” Derek said, shrinking away from Scott and getting as close to Laura as possible. (“Way to use the pregnant woman as a shield, Derek!”)

“For ditching my best friend on his birthday,” Scott said. “He was _crying,_ you jerk, and oh, wait, shit I wasn’t supposed to tell you that he cried. Stiles so didn’t cry. Stiles was very strong and silent and… why didn’t you even call me when you were in New York?”

“I- what?” Derek said, thrown off by Scott’s sudden change in topic. “You wanted me to call you?”

“Well, yeah,” Scott said. “I had to hear everything from Laura and Mom and I’m your _brother_. I just- I thought you would at least call me and explain why you left. You don’t tell me anything, Derek.”

“That’s because you never act like you want to know,” Derek said, standing up.

“I act like I want to know!” Scott defended. “You just never pick up on these things.”

Scott had his hands stuffed in the pockets of his graduation robe, looking at his feet. Derek grinned, even though they didn’t talk much and they never got along, Scott was still his little brother. He placed a hand on Scott’s shoulder and Scott looked up.

“You’ll be the first one I call when I get back to New York.”

Scott then smiled his dopey puppy dog smile and Derek rolled his eyes. Some things never changed.

There was a short pause and then Scott looked furious again. Yeah, that peace wasn’t going to last long anyway.

“I’m still pissed at you for ditching Stiles and-!”

“Scott,” a tall black boy (who looked more like a man, but he was wearing a graduation robe, so Derek assumed he was younger than he looked) said from behind him, placing his hands on Scott’s shoulders. “We have to go line up.”

“Wait a second, Boyd, I have to-.”

“Yeah, I’m not waiting for you,” Boyd said, lifting a struggling Scott up in a fireman’s hold and nodding at Derek. “Enjoy the ceremony.”

Boyd then walked away, carrying Scott who was now just begging for Boyd to put him down.

“Where can I get a Boyd?” Laura said from beside him, looking wistfully in the direction they had gone in.

“I’m just going to ignore all of the different ways I could interpret that questions,” Chris said.

Laura smiled and kissed him. Derek tried not to vomit.

The processional started soon afterward and the principal gave the exact same speech he had given at Derek’s graduation. He was close to falling asleep when Lydia, the Valedictorian, went up to make her speech. The principal announced that she would be attending MIT in the fall and every applauded.

Lydia’s speech was exactly what Derek expected. It was a decent length, interesting, and filled with quotes and words of inspirations and clever jabs at people and by the time it was over Derek felt himself respecting her even more. Everyone applauded once again and then the principal went back to the podium.

“And now for a speech from our Salutatorian,” he said. “He was only .01 point away from Ms. Martin’s GPA and will be attending Stanford in the fall. Please welcome Mr.… uh, well I actually can’t pronounce that name. Well, I’m sure you just know him as Mr. Stiles Stilinski.”

Derek could feel Laura staring at him, but he just kept on looking straight ahead at the podium. Stiles stepped up, shaking the principal’s hand and then standing at the podium. He didn’t look any different; he was exactly how Derek had left him.

And Derek couldn’t do this. He didn’t know how Stiles expected him to just sit there listening to him cracking jokes about the faculty and talking about the future. Derek wasn’t even listening to the words anymore, just the sound of them passing through Stiles’ mouth. He missed him more than anything and there he was. There he was and Derek couldn’t do anything about it because Stiles had told him to stay away.

The speech ended with the audience laughing and applauding. Laura leaned toward Derek and he thought she was going to ask if he was okay.

“I thought the Salutatorian was supposed to open the ceremony,” she said, clearly trying to relieve the tension.

“Since when does Beacon Hills do what they’re supposed to do?”

“Touché.”

The handing out of diplomas took 45 minutes even though it was a small class. The superintendent closed the ceremony and then there was the recessional. Finally, it was over and Derek was ready to head back to his car and go back home when he saw his mother walking toward him. She was alone, so he allowed himself to talk to her.

Of course there wasn’t any talking at first. She slapped him (Scott took after their mom, Derek worried that he took after their dad) and then brought him into her arms.

“I’ve missed you so much, sweetheart.”

“I missed you too, Mom,” Derek said, hugging her back.

“You’re leaving tomorrow morning, aren’t you?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “I have to get back, my boss won’t let me miss three days in a row.”

Melissa nodded, smoothing out an invisible wrinkle on his shirt. “Will you at least have dinner with me? Scott is going to a graduation party and John is working the nightshift. I’d really like to talk to you since I won’t have much time to see you.”

“Okay, dinner sounds great, Mom,” Derek said.

She smiled at him and then Derek saw the Sheriff behind her. He was hugging Stiles and Derek just had to get out of there.

“I’ll pick you up at seven,” Derek said, kissing her cheek.

Melissa looked behind her to see why he was leaving so abruptly and she turned back around and sighed. “It’s none of my business, I’m staying out of it.”

“Bye Mom.”

“Bye, I’ll see you at seven.”

 

**OoOoOoO**

The dinner was actually nice. He talked about New York and she was the first person who actually seemed like she genuinely liked the idea. She talked about work and Scott and how Scott was planning to propose to Allison that night. Derek asked how she felt about that and she just sighed and shook her head. She said that she knew that Scott and Allison were going to get married one day, but she wished it wouldn’t be so soon.

He took her back to the house around nine and she persuaded him into coming in for some coffee. Derek had never really realized how lonely his mother truly was. They talked for another hour and then Derek insisted that he had to go back to the house. He said something about an early flight and time changes and she all but pushed him out of the door.

“Call more often, okay?” she said, pulling him into one more hug. “I miss hearing from you.”

“I will,” Derek said. “Tell Scott that I’ll start calling him too.”

Melissa nodded and waved goodbye as Derek got into the Camaro. He had every intention of going straight to the house, but he made a detour, driving by the Stilinski house. The police cruiser wasn’t in the driveway, but the Jeep was.

And he shouldn’t. He promised to stay away, but that was a lot easier said than done. He hadn’t actually promised Stiles that he would stay away, Stiles had just told him that he wanted him to stay away. Those were two completely different things.

Before he could talk himself out of it, Derek parked the Camaro down the street and walked toward the Stilinski house. There was no way Stiles would let him through the front door, so there was only one solution. He just hoped the neighbors wouldn’t see him.

Climbing up the side of the house with a gutter as his only support wasn’t exactly his brightest idea, but he managed. He got onto the roof outside of Stiles’ window and didn’t even bother knocking, sliding the window open and slipping into the room.

Stiles wasn’t in there and Derek heard the shower running from the bathroom across the hall. That was fine, he could wait. It also gave him the opportunity to run out if he wanted to.

There was one major change in the bedroom from what Derek could see. The tacky cartoon snowboarder that had been plastered to the wall was gone. In its place was Aria’s painting that Derek had sent him. There was also a stack of photographs in the shelving behind the bed. Curiosity getting the better of him, Derek grabbed the stack.

After looking through a few pictures it was easy to tell that they were pictures from prom. There was Scott and Allison and Stiles with their arms around each other, all smiling. Lydia and Jackson were slow dancing in the next one. The one after that was by far Derek’s favorite though. Lydia was fixing Stiles’ tie and her mouth was open, obviously lecturing him, while Stiles had his head tilted back as if to say “Why me?”

There were a few more of the entire group and random shots of them dancing when Derek came across the next one. It was of Stiles and a pretty blonde girl. He was putting a corsage on her wrist and she was pinning a boutonnière on the lapel of his suit jacket. Derek sat down on the bed and just looked at the picture. It didn’t mean anything, it didn’t mean that Stiles had moved on. Because how could he-?

“Her name’s Erica Reyes,” Stiles said from the doorway.

Derek looked up instantly, placing the stack of photos on the bed and standing up.

“She asked me to prom as friends and I agreed to go,” Stiles said, walking toward the window and closing it. “About 30 minutes in I noticed how Boyd was looking at her and I set them up and took over DJ duties.”

“That was nice of you.”

His hair was damp from the shower and he was just wearing a pair of sweatpants and Derek had never seen anything more beautiful. He should probably leave. Actually there was no “probably” about it. He _should_ leave.

Stiles walked to his dresser and opened it to get a shirt and that’s when Derek saw it. On the back of his left shoulder there was a triskelion, not unlike Derek’s. It had a triangle at its center though and instead of being solid black, it was just an outline. Inside of the outline were intricate lines and shapes, making it look like a mosaic of sorts. Right next to it was a tiny _A. S._

“Scott went with me to get it on my birthday after you left,” Stiles said. “It hurt like a bitch.”

“It looks good,” Derek said.

And it did on the pale skin of his shoulder, standing out with a sharp contrast. Derek made his way toward him and pressed his hand against the inked skin. Stiles bent his head and let out a shudder that Derek knew was involuntary.

“I told you to stay away,” Stiles said.

“I couldn’t.”

Stiles’ knuckles turned white as he clutched the dresser in front of him. And then he was releasing the dresser and turning around, throwing his hands in the air.

“Will you just make up your fucking mind?!” Stiles shouted. “Do you want to stay with me or are you going to leave me again?”

“I’m giving you space to make your own decisions,” Derek said.

“And this is space?” Stiles asked, laughing harshly. “You call coming into my bedroom through the window _giving me space_?”

Derek didn’t know what to say to that because Stiles was exactly right. He shouldn’t have come, he should have just left.

“I’m sorry,” Derek said, walking toward the door.

“No,” Stiles said, grabbing Derek’s arm. “You can leave when I say you can leave.”

Well, he wasn’t going to argue with that. Derek turned back around, facing Stiles and shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket. Stiles wet his lips and Derek followed the movement. It was going to take every force possible to keep him away.

“Derek,” Stiles started. “I waited for so long… I waited and hoped and fucking prayed that you would look at me and then you finally did. I get it, okay? I’ve always known that I’ve loved you more than you love me and that’s fine. But you should have talked to me-.”

“What?” Derek asked. “How can you say that?”

“Because it’s true!” Stiles said. “Derek- Derek, you _left me_. You’re the one who left me stranded all-.”

“I didn't leave you, Stiles. I gave you up,” Derek said. “You have always wanted to get out. You’ve always wanted to leave this town and you weren’t going to leave if I were still here. I didn’t leave you, I gave you a choice.”

Stiles just looked at him, stunned. “Derek, I-.”

“So, don’t talk about waiting for me ever since you were a kid, because that is nothing, Stiles, _nothing_ compared to giving you up.”

There was a bit more staring and had Derek always been breathing this hard? Stiles blinked at him once and then bit his lip as he tried to suppress a laugh. Derek wasn’t that much better as he pressed his lips together, trying not to smile.

“Oh my God,” Stiles said. “Do you just realize what just happened here?”

“How could I not?” Derek asked, a grin slipping onto his face.

Stiles let out a laugh and Derek felt something warm curl up into his stomach. He hadn’t heard that laugh in so long.

“Stop making me laugh, I’m supposed to be mad at you!” Stiles said, shoving at his arm and laughing harder. “I’m Rory and you’re Amy.”

“Yeah,” Derek said, taking the hand Stiles had used to shove him. “I can’t believe we just reenacted [that scene](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igZ26ZoDKuU) and made it so it fit in with our lives.”

Derek clutched onto Stiles’ hand in his grasp and Stiles looked at him, the last bits of laughter slowly starting to ebb away. Stiles took a step forward, pressing his forehead against Derek’s.

“You’re going back to New York, aren’t you?” Stiles asked.

“Yeah,” Derek nodded. “And you’re going to Stanford.”

“I’ll be in town when Laura gives birth and that falls around your birthday, so…” Stiles trailed off.

“So?”

“So, I’ll see you then,” Stiles sighed. “I get why you’re doing this. And you’re right, if you were still in Beacon Hills I would just stay here.”

“We’ll be okay,” Derek said. “I’m Amy, you’re Rory. We’re kind of meant to be.”

The corner of Stiles’ mouth twitched up and Derek just had to kiss him. It was quick, but Derek made sure to linger. He made sure to take time and remember the shape of Stiles’ lips and the softness. Derek pulled on his bottom lip, making it look even more full and impossibly suggestive. Stiles smiled though, his eyes fluttering open.

“I love you and your stupid face.”

“I thought I was Amy and you were Rory,” Derek said, raising an eyebrow.

“Just reciprocate the love, Derek,” Stiles said, rolling his eyes.

“I love you too.”

Stiles nodded approvingly. “So, uh, do you think we can make this long distance thing work?”

“I can make anything work for you.”

“That’s nice, but you really need to lay off the corniness.”

“Sorry, it’s been a while, so it’s all coming out at once.”

“Understandable.”

 

**OoOoOoO**

Derek woke up the next morning in his own bed. It still smelled like Stiles, but now it was a comforting scent instead of a sad reminder. Laura had let herself into the house and had practically dragged him out of bed.

“You’re going to miss your flight,” she said, sitting on his stomach and poking him in the cheek.

“If you weren’t pregnant I would shove you off of me,” Derek said, pushing against her hip so that she would get off of him.

“Oh, being pregnant,” Laura said dreamily. “It’s a great defense mechanism.”

“That’s one thing to call it.”

He got out of bed and got dressed as Laura continued talking. She wasn’t really talking about anything important, so Derek just tuned her out.

That was until he heard her say Stiles.

“What about Stiles?” he inquired.

“You do know that I just said his name in the middle of a sentence that had nothing to do with him, don’t you?” she asked.

He chose not to answer that.

“So, have you two made up?”

“Yeah,” he said, grabbing his stuff and giving the room a once over before walking out. “We’re good now.”

“You’re going to do the whole long distance thing?” she asked.

“That’s the plan.”

She made a face and then shook her head. “Derek, those things never really work out.”

“That’s because they’re with people who aren’t Stiles and I,” Derek shrugged. “We’re both… good at waiting.”

He smiled and Laura continued to look at him skeptically. Actually she just looked worried.

“Four years is a long time, Derek,” she said. “People change over time. And I know you think that you two are written in the stars and all that, but what if it doesn’t work out like you want it to? He could go to grad school there and then get a teaching job and-.”

“Laura,” Derek interjected. “I’ve got a plan.”

“Oh God,” she said, paling instantly. “Your plans suck.”

“What? No they don’t.”

“Oh yes they do,” she nodded. “What’s this plan? You’re going to kidnap Stiles and force him to not go to Stanford.”

“That is completely unnecessary.”

“I was kidding,” she said, rolling her eyes. “But, no seriously, what’s the plan?”

He didn’t tell her even though she pestered him the entire car ride to the airport. The second she dropped him off and he walked inside she started calling him, still begging to know what the plan was.

He still didn’t tell her.

Derek had been back in New York for a month and she was still calling him. She would ask how he was and what he was up to and how work was before subtly (it was actually never subtle) asking what his plan was. He would then tell her goodbye and hang up.

New York was starting to feel familiar. He knew all of the best places to eat and whether walking or taking the subway was better. It was such a stark contrast to Beacon Hills that he was surprised how comfortably he fit in. He was actually starting to like it there, thinking of spending maybe more time there in the future.

But whenever he got too comfortable in New York, whenever he got too used to the idea of living there, someone back home would call him.

Conversations with his mom were always good. She was patient and understanding and also irritated with him. It was normal and he always found himself missing home after she called. She was his mom and she would love him no matter what mistakes he made. Topics of conversation ranged from his eating habits to funny hospital stories to Scott and Allison’s wedding planning.

And that was another conversation all together. Derek had kept true to his word and had taken to actually calling Scott. The conversation was always stiff and awkward until the wedding was brought up.

“So it’s next summer and she wants to have it at this inn called… wait, I’ve got it right here… It’s called Monte Verde Inn.”

Derek was already sitting in front of his laptop, so he typed the name into Google and went to their website.

“It looks nice,” Derek said, looking through different pictures.

“Yeah and money isn’t an issue since her family is loaded, but it’s a four hour drive away.”

“So…?”

“Not everyone is going to drive four hours for our wedding.”

“Four hours isn’t that long,” Derek pointed out. “And she said she wanted something small, right? Maybe the commute is for her to minimize the guest list.”

There was silence from the other end and Derek wondered (and hoped) if the connection had gone bad. No such luck though.

“Dude, that was actually smart,” Scott said. “That sounded like something Stiles would say. And I guess the place isn’t too bad. Have you checked out the food pictures yet?”

“Uh, no,” Derek said. “I was looking at the pictures of the estate.”

“Oh, well, yeah, those are nice as well.”

The calls that he looked forward to more than anything were, of course, the ones from Stiles. They were always late in the evening for Derek since he was three hours ahead, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. The phone calls usually lasted for hours at a time with them just talking (well, mostly it was Stiles).

They talked a few nights a week and it definitely made time go by faster. The summer quickly ended with Stiles talking about everyone going over to Derek’s house (“It’s a shame for a house that awesome to be left empty for so long.”) for one last get together before they all left for different schools. Stiles had talked to Derek that night after everyone had left the house and he was in Derek’s bed.  That had led to a heated round of phone sex (something they were both quickly becoming pros at).

The calls became less frequent though when school started in the fall. Stiles told Derek about getting lost on campus and his classes and professors and the city and how his roommate was determined to sleep with the entire female student body.

“He’s not even that good-looking,” Stiles had said one night in October. “He drives a nice car and he has a lot of money because of his family. He’s like Jackson, but minus the Lydia who keeps him grounded. They’re supposed to do these personality tests to match you up with a roommate you’ll like, but-.”

“I’m coming back to Beacon Hills in a few days and staying for a week,” Derek cut in.

“You’re what?” Stiles said, abruptly stopping his rant about his roommate. “You’re coming back? When? I need dates!”

“November 2nd through the 9th,” Derek said. “I want to be there for Laura giving birth and by birthday is a day after her due date, so I thought I’d spend it with family.”

“I’ll be there too.”

“Stiles, don’t skip an entire week of classes for-.”

“No, I told my professors that I was getting surgery back home on the 5th and that I would be out of classes for a week,” Stiles said. “They gave me all of my assignments for the week. I’m all set. I’ll be there on the 4th.”

Derek couldn’t stop the smile that was pulling on the corners of his lips. He had one entire week with Stiles and his future godchild. That sounded beyond perfect.

“Um, do you think we could get around to doing that thing that we were supposed to do on my birthday, but doing it on your birthday instead?” Stiles asked.

“What thing?” Derek asked, his smile turning into a smirk.

He heard Stiles groan in frustration from the other line. “Are you ever going to stop doing that?”

“Maybe if you start actually saying what you mean instead of beating around the bush, I wouldn’t have to keep doing it.”

“Fine then,” Stiles said. “On your birthday, since we’ll both be in town, are you going to fuck me?”

“I’ll consider it.”

“I hate you so fucking much.”

 

**OoOoOoO**

Since Laura was nine months pregnant and ready to go into labor at any second, Derek took a taxi home from the airport. The taxi driver refused to drive up the long driveway, so Derek had to lug his suitcase up it. Eventually though, he was home.

The first thing he did was call Laura and tell her that his plane had landed and that he was home. She then begged for him to come over since she was literally just waiting for the baby to decide it wanted to be born. Derek didn’t have complaints with that, so he got into his Camaro (he hadn’t driven in months) and headed over to the Argent house.

Allison was staying at the house for a few weeks instead of her dorm because of the baby. Chris was out doing some work (Derek knew that it involved assault rifles, and frankly that was all he wanted to know), so Allison was the one who let him in.

“Hi,” she greeted, opening the door. “She’s in the living room and she’s already threatening to hit you as soon as she sees you.”

“Thanks for the heads-up,” Derek said, following her into what he assumed was the living room.

Laura was sitting on the couch looking grumpy and pregnant. He really didn’t know why he expected anything other than that.

The coffee table in front of her was littered with a lot of white lace and patterns and on the TV was… that couldn’t be, but it was. It was _Doctor Who_. Laura was watching _Doctor Who_ and she was on season six and she actually looked _interested_.

“I don’t know what to react to first,” Derek said, standing in the doorway and just looking at everything.

“My huge stomach, the excess of wedding planning, or the fact that your boyfriend swindled me into watching this show?” Laura asked, looking at Derek.

“Let’s start with you giving birth in a few days,” Derek said, taking a seat next to Laura on the couch.

Allison sat down across from them on the floor in front of the coffee table. Laura punched him in the arm. Derek looked at Allison who gave him an “I told you so” look.

“What do you want to know?” Laura asked.

“What are you going to name her?” he asked.

Laura smiled at him, probably for calling the baby a “her”. Chris and Laura didn’t want to know the sex of the baby until it was born, but Laura was still completely convinced that their child was a girl.

“Amelia,” she said, nodding toward the TV screen where Amy Pond was currently talking to an older version of herself and trying to convince her to help the Doctor and Rory.

“You’re joking,” Derek said.

“Nope, Amelia Argent,” she said. “The middle name is still in the works, but I like Amelia Argent.”

“Bit fairytale,” Allison said.

Oh God. They were all slowly turning into Whovians, weren’t they?

“As for this,” Laura said, gesturing toward the pile of lace and other things that he didn’t even recognize on the coffee table. “This is all Allison.”

“China patterns, invitations, tablecloths, gift bags, name cards…” Allison listed off. “The wedding is less than a year away and Laura said she would help.”

“Shouldn’t Scott help you with that?” Derek asked.

“He has a late class at school and then he has a shift at the clinic,” Allison said. “He’s helping me tomorrow though.”

“You know, Derek, your kind of people love this stuff,” Laura said, smiling at him slyly.

“My kind of people?” Derek repeated.

“People of the gay variety,” she clarified.

He glared. She laughed.

“I’m kidding.”

“I know.”

“Floral white or ivory for the tablecloths?” Allison asked, holding up two sample fabrics.

“They look the same.” “Do ivory.”

Allison nodded and put the ivory sample on the coffee table while the floral white fluttered to the floor. At least Derek assumed she had put the ivory on the table.

“So, how did Stiles get you into _Doctor Who_?” Derek asked.

“He bought me the box sets and they collected dust until I became eight months pregnant,” Laura said. “Then I started watching and didn’t understand what was with the walking mannequins and the cat nuns and the big head in a tank and then I was on the last episode for the Tenth Doctor and I was crying.”

“It’s a downward spiral.”

“I honestly don’t know what my life was before it.”

Derek stayed for a few more episodes to keep Laura company and attempt to help his future sister-in-law with China patterns. (“I don’t see the difference.” “Derek, these have grapes on the design and these have olives. _They’re completely different_.”)

The next day he spent the entire day with his mother and Scott for “family bonding”. This, of course, translated into Scott freaking out about school and the wedding and Derek and Melissa trying to convince him that everything would be fine. Scott wasn’t the easiest to convince though. (“What if I finish all of my Gen Ed classes and they won’t let me transfer to the city college? What if Allison sees this as me not being a real man and leaves me for someone else?” “You consider yourself a real man now?” “Don’t listen to your brother. Everything’s going to be fine.” “But how do you _know_?” “I don’t, I just thought it would make you feel better.”)

It wasn’t exactly how Derek wanted to spend a Sunday, but it was nice for it to just be the three of them for a change. That definitely hadn’t happened in a while and he had kind of missed spending time with them. Of course he would never admit that though.

Monday was the day he had been looking forward to. Stiles said that he was leaving Stanford that morning and after a five hour drive, he would be home. He had texted Derek at around nine in the morning to tell him that he was on his way. Derek was now counting down until two o’clock.

He did everything he could think of to keep himself occupied. He ate breakfast, went on a run, took a shower, started to read a book, worked on practice sketches, changed a light bulb, organized his sock drawer, ate some lunch, attempted to finish the book, worked out in the gym in the basement, took another shower, got a snack, decided he wasn’t hungry, got the mail and the newspaper, realized that he wouldn’t have any mail since he had changed addresses to the New York one, he also didn’t have a newspaper because he had canceled his subscription, contemplated visiting Laura, called Laura instead, got teased by Laura, hung up on Laura, called Laura back and apologized for hanging up on her and got yelled at, hung up on Laura again and didn’t call back to apologize again, sat on the screened-in porch and tried to finish the book he had started, tried to take a nap, he wasn’t tired, he was hungry now, got a snack-.

And there was the sound of a key in the lock and the front door opening.

Derek all but slammed the kitchen cabinet closed as he made his way into the foyer. Stiles was closing the door behind him and turned around just in time to see Derek walking toward him. And then Derek was pressing his back against the closed door and kissing him.

Stiles let out a startled noise that soon dissipated when Derek pushed his tongue past Stiles’ teeth and into his mouth. It was safe to say that Stiles didn’t exactly mind. He quickly reciprocated, bringing his hands up to Derek’s hair and neck and pulling him even closer to him.

Derek pried his mouth from Stiles’ and starting sucking a trail down his neck. Stiles moaned when Derek gave a little too much attention to his pulse point, arching into him slightly.

“Missed you,” Stiles managed to get out as Derek shoved his jacket off of his shoulders.

There was a hum of agreement from Derek as he lifted Stiles’ shirt up, biting marks onto the pale skin. Stiles’ hands clutched onto the dark strands of hair, pulling Derek even closer to him. Little shuddering moans escaped from his mouth and Derek thought that he could probably just take Stiles right there. In fact…

“Forget my birthday,” Derek said, bringing his mouth up to Stiles’ jawline. “Let’s just do this now.”

“Do what now?” Stiles asked.

Derek couldn’t help the smirk appearing on his lips. It was about time Stiles used that one against him. He brought his mouth up to Stiles’ ear. “Let me fuck you now.”

“Great idea, you should totally do that,” Stiles said, nodding his head frantically.

Derek’s hands found Stiles’ hips and he spun him around, pressing his front against the door and unbuckling his belt.

“ _Fuck_ , Derek,” Stiles gasped. “I have no problems with doing it against a door, but a bed would be nice for my first time.”

“We’ll make it to the bed eventually.”

“That sounds promising.”

“Well, this house has three stories,” Derek said, pulling down Stiles’ jeans and boxers at once. “The bed’s on the third and we’re on the first.”

“Oh God, is this like a video game level thing? One level means something different? What’s the first level? I’m about to find out, aren’t I? I don’t know if I should be excited or fuuu – _uh_.”

It was probably safe to say that Stiles hadn’t expected Derek to lap his tongue against his hole. To be fair it was a pretty spur of the moment thing for Derek as well. He had never actually done this before, but this was Stiles and he deserved everything Derek was capable of giving.

Derek lapped against it a few more times until it was practically glistening and Stiles was a panting mess above him. He pulled Stiles further apart just a bit and then pressed his tongue _just_ inside of him.

Stiles let out a strangled groan and Derek worked in further to-.

His phone rang.

“Don’t you e-even th- _think_ about it,” Stiles ground out.

And if his best friend wasn’t nine months and due any day now he would have thrown his phone against the wall.

But his best friend was nine months pregnant and due any day now. So, Derek stood up and got his phone out of his pocket, cupping the curve of Stiles’ ass and pressing a kiss to the back of his neck. Stiles groaned and leaned his head back onto Derek’s shoulder.

“Can’t catch a break,” Stiles mumbled, making a face.

“Hello?” Derek said after answering the call and holding the phone to his ear.

“Thank God you answered your phone,” Laura said from the other line, sounding… terrified? That was new. “Chris is still on his stupid business trip and Allison is with Scott and I’m having contractions.”

“I’ll be right there,” Derek said, handing the phone to Stiles and going to get his keys.

Stiles took the phone and cradled it against his shoulder as he pulled his pants back up. “Hey Laura.”

Derek’s keys were on the kitchen counter and he all put ushered Stiles out of the door as soon as he got them. Stiles was still talking to Laura and from what he could tell it was about what Derek had just been doing to Stiles. Laura did have a way of getting someone to say anything she wanted them to.

“Yes I am thinking about you giving birth to get rid of my boner,” Stiles said as he got into the passenger’s seat of the Camaro. “Ew vaginas. Double ew for vaginas giving birth. What was that? Placenta? Wait, I know what that is. Isn’t that the- oh, Jesus, I did not need that much detail. Yes, yes it’s gone. Uh-huh, you’ve basically forced my dick to curl up inside of me.”

The commentary went on for the entire ride to the Argent house. The conversation soon shifted to _Doctor Who_ and then possible middle names and then how Derek wasn’t driving fast enough and then ended on Stiles telling Laura to keep breathing and that she would make it through this and that everything was going to be okay and-.

“ _I’M GOING INTO LABOR, STILES, NOT MARCHING TO MY DEATH._ ”

Stiles held the phone away at arm’s length, flinching away from it. After a few seconds of silence he held the phone back to his ear and then started listing off middle names again.

Eventually after breaking about 15 traffic laws and Stiles getting yelled at three more times, they arrived at the Argent house. Laura was sitting on the front porch with a suitcase next to her and her cell phone in a death grip in her hand. They got out of the car and Stiles grabbed the suitcase while Derek got Laura.

“Have you called Chris?” Derek asked, helping her into the passenger’s seat.

“Yeah,” Laura said. “He’s meeting us at the hospital in about 20 minutes.”

“Twenty minutes?” Stiles repeated from the backseat as Derek drove toward the hospital. “Do you think you can hold out for that long?”

“I’ll be fine as long as my water doesn’t… _break_.”

That wasn’t good.

“Did that actually just happen?” Stiles said, leaning forward and looking at Laura.

“Yes,” Laura grinded out, turning her head to face Derek. “This is all your fault.”

“How is this my fault?” Derek asked. “I’m not the one who knocked you up!”

“But you’re the godfather and that’s the closest I have to a father to put the blame on right now!”

And… well, he couldn’t argue with that.

“It’s going to be fine,” Stiles assured. “I read that women give birth hours after their water breaks, everything is going to be-.”

“If you finish that sentence I am going to cut off your testicles with a spork.”

“Oh my God, why would you say something like that?”

Thankfully, the threats were put on hold when they arrived at the hospital. Laura was instantly put into a room and she requested Melissa as her nurse.

“Sorry, but Melissa’s shift doesn’t start for two more hours,” the nurse said, looking at her clipboard. “My name is Molly and I’ll be sure to take good care of you. So, is this the father?”

She gestured toward Derek with a look filled with so much uncertainty that he almost laughed. Derek and Laura could pass for twins or siblings very close in age, it made perfect sense for Molly to be unsure.

“No, this is my brother and his boyfriend,” Laura said. “The father is on his way.”

“Okay,” Molly said, writing something down on the clipboard. “Have you changed your mind about wanting to give birth naturally?”

“No, that’s how I want to do it,” Laura said.

Molly asked a few more questions before telling them that the doctor would be in shortly. As soon as she left Stiles practically pounced on Laura with questions.

“Are you insane?” he asked. “Natural birth? You want to give birth to a baby without drugs? You do realize that a baby is going to come crawling out of your vagina, don’t you?”

“You do realize that my life is not a Japanese horror movie and that nothing is going to _crawl_ out of me, don’t you?” she asked.

There was more bickering and more threats between the two of them and Derek just leaned back in his chair, taking one of each of their hands in his. They stopped talking and looked at him.

“What is he doing?” Stiles asked warily.

“I don’t know, but I think I see… contentment in his eyes.”

“No, it can’t be.”

“I’m pretty skeptical myself, but that’s what it looks like.”

“Would the two people I love most in this world please shut up?” Derek asked.

“I thought he was going to say something sweet, but nope, it’s still Derek,” Laura said, patting him on the head.

Stiles and Laura started another conversation, this time about how Derek could be so bipolar at times. He tuned them out and sunk down into the chair further, keeping both of their hands in his.

There was no telling how much time had passed, but Derek came out of his half-asleep daze when Chris showed up. He sat down on the bed next to Laura and kissed the top of her head. Derek stood up and took Stiles along with him to the waiting room outside.

“Thank God he showed up,” Stiles said. “I was beginning to think we would have to go into the delivery room with her.”

“ _I_ would have gone in with her,” Derek corrected. “Since you’re so terrified of something coming out of her vagina.”

“I am not,” Stiles protested, sitting down in one of the chairs in the waiting room. “I just don’t want to see all of that blood.”

“You faint at the sight of blood?”

“No, but I might at the sight of _something coming out of Laura’s vagina that’s covered in blood_.”

“So, you are terrified of something coming out of her vagina?”

“Y’know for two guys who are really into each other’s dicks we sure are talking a lot about vaginas.”

Derek shook his head, squeezing Stiles’ hand tighter. “You’re an idiot.”

Time passed by slowly. After waiting around for about two hours (and going back in the room to play cards) Laura was finally going into labor. She was all but whisked away to the delivery room with Chris right with her. Allison and Scott showed up about 30 minutes later with balloons and stuffed animals, all pink.

“I really hope Laura’s right in thinking it’s a girl,” Scott said, looking more than a little ridiculously with a pink teddy bear in his lap.

“It doesn’t really matter,” Allison shrugged. “The baby won’t know the difference.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Scott nodded.

Five minutes had passed when Stiles let out a heavy sigh and slumped further down in his seat. “I thought labor was supposed to last like ten minutes. All she has to do is push.”

“Stiles, it can last for hours,” Allison said.

This got another sigh out of Stiles as he sunk even further into the seat. He was going to fall off soon and Derek was probably just going to laugh when that happened.

It was about 40 more minutes until Molly came to get them. “Laura and the baby are doing great. They’re both very tired, but I think two visitors at a time would be fine.”

“Boy or girl?” Allison asked.

“Girl,” she said.

If Molly thought that all four of them letting out a sigh of relief was strange, she didn’t show it.

“You two go first,” Derek said to Scott and Allison.

“Are you sure?” Allison asked.

Derek nodded and Scott and Allison followed Molly down the hallway, balloons and teddy bears in tow.

“We’re going in there anyway as soon as Molly gets out of the way, right?” Stiles asked.

“Definitely.”

They waited another five minutes before heading down the hallway, checking into every room to see which one was Laura’s. Eventually they found the right room that was occupied by just Laura, Chris, Scott, Allison, and a little bundle in Allison’s arms.

Laura looked up at him when he came in and smiled tiredly. “There he is.”

“How are you?” he asked, leaning over to kiss the top of her head.

“I feel like I’m about to pass out, but other than that I’m happy.”

“Do you want to hold her?” Allison asked, turning toward him.

Derek all but shoved Stiles toward her instead. “Stiles actually would not shut up about wanting to hold her.”

Stiles looked like he was about to protest, but then he faced Derek and shut his mouth. Derek didn’t know what he saw, but it was probably fear.

“That I have been,” Stiles said, taking Amelia into his arms. “Come here you little bundle of joy.”

“Support her head,” Chris said.

“I know, I know,” Stiles said. “This is not the first baby I’ve held. Okay, actually she is, but I know what to do.”

Still, Chris didn’t take his eyes off of Stiles, practically glaring at him. Laura was looking at Derek though, a look of amusement in her eyes.

“Her name’s Amelia Marie,” Laura said. “Marie after my mom.”

“That’s pretty,” Allison said.

“Yeah, and she’s really pretty too,” Scott added, looking at Amelia. “She’s a little red and kind of wrinkly… but she’s pretty!”

And now Chris was glaring at Scott.

 

**OoOoOoO**

Derek woke up on his birthday to a text from Chris saying that Laura and Amelia were being discharged from the hospital that day. He only had two more days until he had to catch his flight back to New York on the morning of the 9th. The past few days had consisted of him spending all of his time with Laura and Amelia at the hospital. After every day he would come back home and go straight to bed, Stiles either already there or joining him later. They had yet to pick things up where they had last left off.

“Who was the text from?” Stiles asked once Derek had put his phone back on the nightstand.

“Chris,” Derek said. “Laura and Amelia are going home today.”

“That’s good,” Stiles said. “Are you going to go visit now?”

“I was thinking later,” Derek said. “I kind of promised someone else that I would spend time with him on my birthday.”

“Oh like, like right now?” Stiles asked, eyebrows arching.

“Unless you have plans.”

“No, no plans, I just-,” Stiles said, sitting up and getting out of the bed. “I just need to brush my teeth and pee and take a shower.”

With that Stiles was dashing out of the room and into the attached bathroom. Derek sighed and got out of bed as well. He headed to another bathroom on the floor and brushed his teeth with a spare toothbrush. Momentarily he contemplated shaving, but decided against it. He had grown it out before more than it was now and Stiles had never complained before.

When he made it back to the bedroom the shower was still running, so Derek opened his nightstand, taking out a box of condoms and lube. He took off his underwear and then reclined back onto the bed, waiting.

Just a few more minutes passed when the shower finally turned off. There was some fumbling in the bathroom before the door opened, Stiles standing there with a towel wrapped around his waist and his hair sticking up because of towel drying.

“Wow Derek, way to just sprawl out on the bed in all of your nakedness,” Stiles said, making his way toward him.

“Sorry for wanting to finally do this,” Derek said, moving so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed.

He grabbed the towel from Stiles’ waist and yanked it down, showing that Stiles was already half hard. “Eager?”

“Shut up,” Stiles said, getting on the bed next to Derek. “I’m always half hard around you.”

“It’s mutual.”

And before Stiles could even look down to see if it was mutual, Derek was pressing him against the mattress, making his head hit the pillows. Stiles brought his hand to the back of Derek’s neck, bringing him down to kiss him.

Derek responded completely, sucking Stiles’ top lip into his mouth until it was red and swollen and perfect. Stiles evidently wanted more though, because when Derek moved to his neck, he turned his head and pressed his lips against Derek’s again. Their tongues melted together and Derek pressed their bodies even closer, creating friction that let out a deep growl from the back of his throat.

Eventually, Derek made his way to Stiles’ neck and when he got there Stiles started talking.

“You wanna know what’s funny?” Stiles asked, sounding more than slightly breathless. “Back when we had that no kissing rule, I used to-to, _fuck_ , Derek did you just _bite_ me?”

He had. There was something about Stiles’ pulse point, that was pounding faster and faster by the second, that had enticed Derek to just sink his teeth into it.

“Sorry,” Derek said, lavishing the bruised skin with his tongue.

“No, no it’s fine,” Stiles said, a hand carding through Derek’s hair. “You just surprised me.”

Derek nipped at the bruise and Stiles’ hips twitched upward. “Continue with what you were saying. Don’t mind me.”

“Okay,” Stiles said a little breathlessly. “Uh, right, so back when we never kissed I used to jerk off thinking about you kissing me. Which is completely ridiculous because it’s just _kissing,_ but- _Derek_.”

“Don’t mind me,” Derek repeated.

He looked up at Stiles who was now looking at him like he had completely lost his mind. Derek had just licked one of his nipples. It wasn’t supposed to get him that worked up.

Okay, it might have been to get him more worked up.

“Keep going,” Derek said, taking a nub between two of his fingers and squeezing.

“Ri- right,” Stiles said, leaning his head against the pillow and closing his eyes. “So, sometimes I would just think about us kissing and fuck I would always come so hard. I would think about you fucking me or giving me a blowjob or anything, but nothing got me off like thinking of you kissing me. That’s weird, right? That has to be really weird. I’m such a weirdo, why did I tell-.”

“Stiles,” Derek cut in, rising up to face him again. “It’s not weird. I like that you thought about it so much. I did too.”

“Really?”

“Of course I thought about kissing you,” Derek said. “I didn’t make myself come just by thinking about it, but-.”

Stiles crushed Derek’s lips onto his, making him the one to shut Derek up for once. Derek cupped his jaw and grinded down against him. Stiles came up to meet him and they started a slow, steady pace of just sliding against each other. Soon it all became a little too much and Derek pressed his hands against Stiles’ hips, pinning him to the mattress.

“Turn over,” Derek instructed.

There was some frantic nodding on Stiles’ part as he rolled over onto his stomach. He folded his arms in front of him and rested his head there, turning it to the side so that he could still see Derek.

“Very eager apparently,” Derek said, reaching over to grab the bottle of lube from his nightstand.

“Shut up,” Stiles said. “I’ve been waiting forever for this.”

“And you think I haven’t?” Derek asked, spreading Stiles’ legs so that he could kneel between them.

He didn’t give Stiles a chance to respond because he was parting Stiles’ cheeks and then sinking down, pressing his tongue against the pink hole. Stiles practically whined, moving his ass up in the air for more of Derek’s tongue. Derek gladly complied, flicking his tongue against Stiles’ center again and again.

Stiles was quickly unraveling beneath him. Hips were jerking into the mattress and his fists were balling up the sheets. His neck and face were flushed, eyes squeezed shut, but mouth open and letting out a stream of _ah-ah-ah_ s. He looked perfect and Derek would have told him that if his tongue wasn’t what was making Stiles into the mess he had become.

Derek slowly started to push his tongue into him. He brought his thumb up to massage the rim, something firmer compared to the tongue sinking inside of him.

“Oh, fuck,” Stiles managed, hips not jerking forward anymore but pushing backward. “ _Please_. Please just- just… _Fuck me._ ”

And that was all the invitation Derek needed. He retracted his tongue from inside of Stiles, pressing an open mouthed kiss on his quivering hole. Stiles whined at the loss of contact, but Derek kept his thumb there, just barely moving inside. Derek grabbed the bottle of lube that had fallen to the mattress and opened it, pouring some on to two of his fingers.

Stiles’ eyes were open again as he looked back at Derek, watching his movements. His eyes were lust blown and his face was red. Derek leaned forward, capturing his lips with his as he rubbed his fingers together, warming up the lube.

“I can take two,” Stiles said, pulling away from Derek so that their lips were just brushing. “I’ve done this to myself so many times. Two’s fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m not _breakable_ , Derek,” Stiles said. “Just give- _oh, fuck yes_.”

Derek had pushed one finger into Stiles and then quickly added another when he realized that Stiles was opening up so easily for him. He pressed his lips to Stiles’ again as his fingers explored the soft walls inside of Stiles. His fingers were inside of him completely when Derek crooked his fingers and Stiles groaned against Derek’s lips.

He crooked his fingers again, pressing harder against that one spot and watching Stiles shudder and move forward. Their foreheads pressed together and Derek slipped a third finger inside of Stiles. He winced this time and Derek stopped, waiting for Stiles to adjust.

“You okay?” he asked, nipping at Stiles’ jaw.

“Y-Yeah, just gimme a second,” Stiles said, his breath coming out in pants. “Just- yeah, yeah that’s good. _Fuck_ that’s good.”

Derek took that as the cue to start moving his fingers again, twisting them around as he thrust them into Stiles. He could spend hours like this, using just his fingers and tongue to make Stiles collapse. He wanted to make Stiles take everything that Derek gave him, just like he was born for. Stiles had other plans though.

“Stop, stop, _stop,_ ” Stiles panted, trying to get away from Derek’s fingers.

“What is it?” Derek asked.

“You need to fuck me now,” Stiles said. “Because if you keep doing that I’m not going to last much longer and-and fuck, Derek, I need you inside of me and-.”

“How do you want to do this?” Derek asked, his own patience completely gone now.

“Uh, face-to-face,” Stiles said, rolling onto his back, the sheets sticking to his sweat-coated skin. “I wanna see you.”

Derek nodded, reaching toward the nightstand for the box of condoms when Stiles’ hand latched around his wrist. “Stiles, I need to-.”

“We don’t have to use one,” Stiles blurted out.

“What?”

“We don’t need one,” Stiles said, his flush starting to get even darker. “You’re clean and I’m obviously clean and you can’t knock me up, so… why use one?”

“Are you sure?” Derek asked even though his hands had moved to Stiles’ thighs, lifting them up.

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded. “This is how I want to do it.”

And who was Derek to argue with that?

He started slow, just barely pressing into Stiles. Of course Stiles was impatient though, bringing his legs up to start wrapping around Derek’s hips. Derek pressed in more, watching Stiles’ face to make sure he was okay. He was halfway there when Stiles flinched, clenching around Derek. He let out a low groan, leaning forward and pressing himself against Stiles.

“You okay?” Stiles asked, sounding strained, but still managing to card a hand through Derek’s hair.

“Y-yeah, you’re just really tight.”

Stiles sounded like he was going to laugh at that, but it was cut off by a sharp intake of breath as Derek pushed in further. Once Derek was all the way in he knew that he wasn’t going to last long. Stiles felt ridiculously good around him, warm and tight and _clenching_. He groaned again, pressing his forehead into the crook of Stiles’ neck.

“I’m good,” Stiles said, a hand still tangled in Derek’s hair. “Like I’m _really fucking good_.”

His hips jerked up to meet Derek and that was when Derek just finally let go. He stopped just short of pounding into Stiles, thrusting hard in a rhythm that was slowly dissipating, sweaty hands clutching pale hips.

“Holy shit,” Stiles panted, gripping onto Derek as best as he could. “Oh, shit, right there. Right there, Derek, _oh fuck_.”

Stiles head fell back, baring his throat and Derek just had to claim it. He marked the pale, freckled skin and Stiles groaned, moving his hips to meet Derek’s thrusts. “Derek, please just- just _touch me_.”

Derek brought a hand around to grip Stiles and after barely two strokes he was coming, mouth open, head tilted back, eyes fluttering closed, and a strangled moan escaping from him. He was clenching and unclenching around Derek sporadically and Derek only had to thrust one more time before finding his release deep inside of Stiles.

It took a bit of coaxing on Stiles’ part, but Derek eventually found himself coming back down to Earth. He slipped out of Stiles, who whined at the loss, before lowering himself onto Stiles, pressing his mouth anywhere and everywhere against flushed and sweat slick skin. Stiles still had a hand lost in Derek’s hair while the other stroked up and down his back.

“That was…” Stiles breathed, pressing his forehead against Derek’s. “I mean, I don’t have anything to really compare it to, but that was…”

“Amazing?” Derek prompted.

“Yeah,” Stiles nodded. “Definitely.”

“Good.”

Stiles smiled at him, red and barely swollen lips looking impossibly good. “I love you.”

“I love you,” Derek said, pressing his lips to Stiles’ without the intent of really kissing him, just wanting the slide of their mouths together, tongues rubbing together lazily.

They continued like this for a bit, both of them still trying to come down from their high. Derek was moving away from Stiles’ mouth to his jawline when Stiles spoke again.

“Happy birthday, by the way,” Stiles said. “Just give me ten minutes.”

“What happens in ten minutes?”

“I’m going to ride you.”

Derek had no complaints about that.

 

**OoOoOoO**

“So, this is it, huh?” Stiles asked, parking off to the side of the airport drop-off lane.

“Yeah,” Derek said. “I’ve got a five hour flight and you’ve got a five hour drive.”

“Actually, your flight is five hours and 45 minutes,” Stiles said.

“Close enough,” Derek shrugged. “I’ll call you when I land.”

Derek leaned across the Jeep console to kiss Stiles, but he was an inch away when Stiles moved back. “So, I’ve been thinking.”

“That’s never a good thing.”

“Just hear me out, okay?” Stiles said. “This past week has been awesome. I think it’s actually been the best week of my life, especially the last few days and this morning… and again this morning in the shower and a little bit on the kitchen counter-.”

“Stiles, I have a flight to catch.”

“I know,” Stiles nodded. “And don’t worry, I’m not going to chase you into the airport and shout your name while running toward the gate and beg you not to go and then we’ll end up making out in the middle of the airport. I’m tempted, but I won’t.

“I think you should stay in Beacon Hills. Go to New York, put in your two weeks’ notice, pack your bags and come back. For Amelia and Laura and your mom and everybody.”

“And if I do that you won’t be tempted to transfer schools?” Derek asked.

“Of course I will, but your entire life is in Beacon Hills, Derek,” Stiles said. “You should continue getting your Doctorate, start up your own architecture business with Laura. Don’t isolate yourself just for me.”

Derek sighed, leaning his head back against the headrest. Stiles eyed him warily, completely unsure of what Derek was going to say.

“I actually had other plans,” Derek said. “I’m going to live in New York until December. Then I’m coming back to Beacon Hills. But in January I was planning on transferring to a different graduate school. It’s some private university right outside of Palo Alto. I’ll probably need a roommate for my apartment, preferably one whose current roommate is trying to sleep with the entire female student body at said private university.”

He glanced over at Stiles whose mouth was hanging up as he just glared at Derek. “You asshole.”

“What?” Derek grinned.

“When were you going to tell me?” Stiles asked, reaching over to shove Derek (he tried to anyway).

“I thought it’d make a good Christmas present,” Derek shrugged.

“Y’know, when I tell people that you’re stupidly cheesy and romantic they never believe me,” Stiles said, shaking his head. “You actually applied to Stanford? You’re getting an apartment? For me?”

“I’ve already uprooted my life for you once, Stiles,” Derek said. “This time I might as well do it with you being able to be in it.”

“You are so corny,” Stiles said, rolling his eyes, but smiling. “You would seriously do all of that just for me?”

“Everything I do is for you.”

And Stiles didn’t need any more convincing after that. Derek kissed Stiles with the intent of leaving the Jeep (which didn’t happen as quickly as he thought it would due to Stiles clinging on to him and not letting him go). Eventually Derek made his way into the airport. He passed through security and luggage with only ten minutes to spare before his plane left. They were already boarding, so he got in line, getting his ticket out of his wallet.

He was just five people from the gate when he heard someone yell his name. And of course it was Stiles.

Derek turned around to see Stiles making his way toward him, a big grin on his face. Everyone in line was now looking at Stiles who was grinning at Derek.

“What are you doing?” Derek asked, getting out of the line.

“I’m begging you not to go in an airport,” Stiles shrugged. “It’s on my bucket list.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“I know.”

“So, should you start begging now or-?”

“Derek,” Stiles said with a little too much feeling and grabbing Derek’s shoulders. “December is just too far away. I can’t wait that long to see you. I need to be with you… always.”

“Please don’t tell me you scripted this.”

“Being with you this past week has opened my eyes,” Stiles said, looking right into Derek’s eyes and moving toward his face. “I can’t be apart from you any longer.”

There was a pause and Stiles looked at Derek expectantly, nodding his head. Derek raised an eyebrow. Stiles tilted his head back and sighed. “You’re supposed to tell me that we’re from two different worlds or that you have to go.”

“You can’t be serious,” Derek said and he didn’t even wait for Stiles to answer. “Of course you’re serious.”

Some more nodding of encouragement was from Stiles’ side.

“Fine,” Derek sighed, raking his brain and thinking of what to say. “Uh, I have to go, Stiles. Can’t you see that I’m doing this for you?”

“That’s a weird way of showing your love, Derek,” Stiles said. “Unless you don’t love me.”

“Of course I love you,” Derek said. “I wouldn’t be pretending to have a fight with you in the middle of the airport if I didn’t.”

Stiles finally broke character at that, smiling at Derek. Then Derek smiled back at him. And then they were just smiling at each other in the middle of the airport and it was the last call for his flight.

“I should go,” Derek said, nodding toward the gate.

“One more thing and I’m serious about this,” Stiles said, walking with Derek toward the gate. “I want to get my bachelor’s at Stanford, but my masters in Beacon Hills.”

“Really?” Derek asked.

“Yeah,” Stiles said. “I like being away from it, but I think I like being there more than getting away. Besides, you kind of own an awesome house and our families are there and… I want to spend the rest of my life there… with you.”

There was then a chorus of “aww”s that did more than unsettle Derek. He took his eyes off of Stiles to see a group of people clustered next to them, all watching. Derek looked back at Stiles who now had a grin on his face, apparently liking the attention.

“Well, that’s good,” Derek said. “Because I’d like to spend the rest of my life with you too.”

Instead of “aww”s there was now one voice shouting at them. “Oh, just kiss already so he won’t miss his flight!”

And they did just that.


	4. Chapter 4

Something was off. Scratch that, something was more than off.

Derek woke up in bed alone and to rattling noises coming from the general direction of the closet and the overhead light turning on. He looked at the clock on the table next to him. It was 7:30. He groaned and ducked his head back under the pillow.

“Hey, you’re up,” he heard Stiles say from the direction of the closet. “Good you can help me.”

Slowly and reluctantly, Derek took the pillow off of his head and turned to face him. Stiles was wearing a light blue button-down shirt tucked into khaki pants and was holding up two ties.

“What?” he asked, enjoying the way the pants actually fit Stiles unlike his stupid baggy jeans he insisted on wearing.

“Which tie says that I’m professional, but I’m also the fun teacher?”

“How am I supposed to know?”

“Good point,” Stiles said. “I should call Lydia, but she’s probably in a meeting. She’s always in a meeting.”

“She works at NASA,” Derek pointed out.

“Another good point,” Stiles nodded, looking at the ties. “I think I’ll go with orange, it is the complementary color to blue.”

Stiles stood in front of the dresser, tying his tie as he looked into the mirror that was on the wall. Derek pushed the covers off of him and came up behind Stiles, placing his hands on his hips and nuzzling his neck. He smelled like citrus soap and mint toothpaste and those shouldn’t be the most arousing smells in the world.

“You’re naked,” Stiles said, stretching his neck to give Derek better access as his lips moved against his skin.

“You were too before you showered and got dressed.”

“Yeah, well I have to be at school in half an hour,” Stiles said. “And it’s my first year teaching and I’m kind of freaking out and want to make a good impression.”

“They’re five year-olds, Stiles,” Derek said. “I think you’ll do fine.”

Stiles still didn’t look convinced as he finished tying his tie. “But what about my fellow teachers? I’m 23, I’m going to be the youngest one there.”

“Boyd is only a few months older than you and it’s his first year teaching too.”

“Yeah, but Boyd looks older than 23,” Stiles said. “And he’s got this smile that makes everyone just kind of melt. When we were student teaching together he let the kids climb him like a jungle gym. How am I supposed to compete with that?”

“Since when is teaching a competition?” Derek asked, placing his hands on Stiles’ tense shoulders.

“It’s not,” Stiles sighed, leaning back against Derek. “Can I skip school and stay at home and be your secretary like I was all summer?”

“Sorry, Erica got the job.”

“Great, now we’re spouse swapping,” Stiles said, then froze. “Uh, I mean significant other swapping. They’re married, but we’re not. Which is fine. We can’t get married in California anyway and who needs marriage?”

“Stiles, we’ve had this discussion a thousand times, we don’t need to get married to-.”

“-Prove how much we love each other, I know,” Stiles finished.

Derek didn’t press the subject anymore, moving around Stiles to open the dresser drawer and get out a pair of underwear. He was putting them on when he saw the faint outline of Stiles’ tattoo from under his shirt.

“You might want to put on an undershirt,” Derek said, nodding toward his back.

Stiles turned around so that he could see his back in the mirror and groaned. “Great. Can you hand me one?”

Derek took an undershirt from one of the drawers and placed it on top of the dresser. He untied Stiles’ tie and placed that on the dresser as well before unbuttoning his shirt. Derek’s lips found his neck once more, being careful not to leave any marks as he kissed Stiles’ skin.

Stiles let out a soft sigh as Derek pushed the shirt off of his shoulders. He brought a hand up to Derek’s hair, toying with the dark strands. “I’m gonna be late.”

“No, you’ll be late for being early,” Derek said, kissing across Stiles’ collarbone. “You’ve got time.”

“I know,” Stiles said, head tilting back and eyes closing as Derek kissed further down his chest.

His mouth traveled all the way down to the top of Stiles’ pants, tongue running through the dark trail of hair on his stomach. Stiles shivered before placing his hands on Derek’s shoulders and moving him away.

“No,” Stiles said. “No, I am not letting you give me a blowjob before I teach a bunch of five year-olds.”

“Are you sure?” Derek asked, standing up and cupping Stiles through his pants.

“Yep,” Stiles nodded, snatching his discarded clothes from the dresser and moving away from Derek.

Derek shook his head, watching as Stiles put on the undershirt and then slipped his button-down back on. He glanced at his watch and groaned, buttoning his shirt up quickly before tucking it into his pants.

“I’m going to be late to be early and Boyd is going to just stare at me and he’ll just _know_ ,” Stiles said, tying his tie once again. “This is your entire fault, Derek.”

It was hard to resist rolling his eyes, but Derek thought he did a pretty good job. Stiles was already out of the bedroom though and making his way downstairs. Derek followed at a much slower pace, reaching the kitchen where Stiles had a piece of toast in his mouth and was pulling his backpack onto his back.

He shoved the rest of the toast into his mouth and headed toward the front door, Derek right behind him. As soon as Stiles’ mouth was free of toast, Derek grabbed his cheek and turned his head, kissing him.

“Are you still going on a day trip to check out that abandoned manor with Laura?” Stiles asked once they had parted.

“Yeah, I’ll be back by seven.”

“Take some pictures for me.”

“Laura will.”

“I know she will,” Stiles said, pressing his lips against Derek’s again.

“Everything’s going to be fine,” Derek said. “You’ll be great. And when I get home we can talk about the whole marriage thing.”

“Really?” Stiles asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course,” Derek nodded.

Stiles smiled and then wrapped his arms around Derek. “I just- I hate telling people that you’re my boyfriend or my partner. I want to tell people you’re my husband.”

“I know.”

“Something permanent would be nice.”

Derek kissed Stiles again before ushering him toward the door. Stiles glanced at his watch again and practically pounced toward the door. He dashed down the porch steps and headed toward the garage, turning around when he got to the door.

Even after all this time Derek couldn’t help but stare. Short brown hair, big amber eyes, ridiculously full lips, pale skin marked with freckles and moles that Derek had memorized. He was perfect. Stiles was perfect and he was all Derek’s.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer, babe.”

Derek just grinned at Stiles from the porch. “I don’t need to take a picture since I’m going to be spending the rest of my life with you.”

Stiles responded by giving him a huge, beaming smile.

And if that was the only thing Derek saw again for the rest of his life, then things would be more than okay.

Things would finally be perfect.

_The End._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you actually read this entire thing you are beautiful and I love you. Please comment and tell me what you loved/hated, favorite lines, favorite parts, etc. Even if you hated it I would love to hear from you! I'll probably make this a series and add some one-shots later that explore different characters/events that happen in the future.
> 
> Anyway, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING. You don't have to comment/kudos/bookmark or anything. Just having someone read this is incredible!
> 
> NOTE: Since I'm getting so many comments for this, I wrote you guys [a thank you letter](http://erinpond.tumblr.com/post/32138746531/so-i-already-gave-one-thank-you-note/).

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Permanent Fixture](https://archiveofourown.org/works/906125) by [humaankameleonn (nainai96)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nainai96/pseuds/humaankameleonn)




End file.
